What is Lynch syndrome and how does it relate to uterine and colon cancer?
Darcy Thull, MS: Lynch Syndrome is a genetic condition that predisposes to cancer. The other name for Lynch syndrome is hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer syndrome (HNPCC). As indicated in the name, HNPCC is an inherited predisposition to colon cancer that is associated with few colon polyps. HNPCC also results in susceptibility to cancers of the uterus, ovary, stomach, small intestine, urinary tract and less commonly brain tumors. Individuals with HNPCC have increased risks to develop more than one type of cancer due to the underlying genetic susceptibility. Families with HNPCC commonly have a history of colon and uterine cancers in several generations. Often the cancers are diagnosed prior to age 50. HNPCC is caused by inheriting a nonfunctioning gene. Mutations (genetic changes) in one of three genes, MLH1, MSH2 and MSH6, account for most cases of HNPCC, though other genes have been associated. Everyone, men and women alike, have two copies of each of these genes. One copy of
