What Is Lynch Syndrome?
Article Sources
- 1. Bhattacharya P, McHugh TW. “Lynch Syndrome”. StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing, (2019). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK431096/
- 2. Munoz, Juan C. et al. “Hereditary Nonpolyposis Colorectal Cancer” Medscape: Drugs & Diseases (2017). https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/188613-overview
- 3. Strafford, J. Craig. “Genetic Testing for Lynch Syndrome, an Inherited Cancer of the Bowel, Endometrium, and Ovary” Rev Obstet Gynecol. 2012; 5: 42–49 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3349923/
7. Heritability
Because the gene that causes Lynch syndrome is autosomal dominant, children with one affected parent have a 1 in 2 chance of inheriting the gene and a 70 to 80% lifetime risk of colon cancer. If the parent developed cancer before age 45 or if two close relatives have the condition, the risk of cancer is four to six times greater.2Munoz, Juan C. et al. “Hereditary Nonpolyposis Colorectal Cancer” Medscape: Drugs & Diseases (2017). https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/188613-overview
It is also possible to develop Lynch syndrome without having inherited the condition. Some people have spontaneous genetic mutations that affect them directly or that they pass on to the next generation.2Munoz, Juan C. et al. “Hereditary Nonpolyposis Colorectal Cancer” Medscape: Drugs & Diseases (2017). https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/188613-overview
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