Lynch Syndrome is one of many inherited cancer predisposition syndromes. People that have Lynch Syndrome have a much higher chance of getting certain types of cancer than those that don’t, as well as having a 50% chance of passing the gene on to their children meaning that their families may also be at risk.
It is estimated that about 95% of patients that have Lynch Syndrome are unaware of their diagnosis.
[In our genes video]
Patients newly diagnosed with certain types of cancer, such as colorectal and gynaecological cancers, are now being offered testing on the tumour to identify if it may have been caused by Lynch Syndrome. If any concerning changes are found, they may be offered genetic testing to confirm if they do have Lynch Syndrome. However, this is a relatively new process and patients that were diagnosed with cancer in the past may not have been offered this testing.
Cancer is common. Many people will develop this serious illness at some point in their life — about 1 in 2. This means most families have someone who has been unwell, and it’s normal to worry about whether illness in your family could affect your own health.
Only a small number of these cancers are caused by something inherited. Around 1 in 5 to 1 in 10 happen because a person carries a gene that increases their risk.
This website helps you understand:
- Whether your family history means your risk might be higher than average.
- Whether you might need a referral to Clinical Genetics to talk about this in more detail.
- Your options if you do have a higher risk of cancer.
- General advice about spotting symptoms of cancer, whatever your risk.
Many other things can affect your health too. If you are worried, please speak to your GP.
The ‘In Our Genes’ campaign is a collaboration between NHS Central and South Genomic Medicine Service, West Midlands Cancer Alliance, West Midlands Regional Clinical Genetics Service and Lynch Syndrome UK aiming to raise awareness of the importance of family history of cancer.