SURPRISING FACTS ABOUT
LYNCH SYNDROME

1 in 279 people living in the US have Lynch Syndrome. 95% of those are not aware they have Lynch Syndrome.

Lynch Syndrome can be a silent killer. No specific symptoms are associated with having an inherited genetic mutation – you can’t tell whether someone has Lynch Syndrome or not unless you analyze their genes.  This results in too many people diagnosed with cancer at a late stage when it is hard to treat.

Having a cancer caused by Lynch Syndrome can change the way your cancer is treated

Lynch Syndrome is a family affair. It’s hereditary and passed down through the generations. If you have Lynch Syndrome, your parents, siblings, and children each have a 50% chance of inheriting the genetic mutation. 

Lynch Syndrome is the most common cause of inherited colorectal and endometrial (uterine) cancer.

Having a Lynch Syndrome gene mutation is more common in the US population than having a BRCA1/2 gene mutation (BRCA1/2 gene mutations are linked to an increased risk for breast/ovarian cancer).

WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW IF YOU HAVE
LYNCH SYNDROME?

  •  Because Lynch Syndrome is inherited, it is not only important for saving your life, but the lives of your family members as well.

  • If you could do something to detect cancer early when it can be treated,
    cured, or possibly prevented, wouldn’t you want to know?

  • When you know you have Lynch Syndrome, you can adopt life saving
    strategies for cancer prevention, early detection and treatment, and risk reducing surgeries.

  • For example, in the case of colorectal cancer, polyps detected during a colonoscopy can be removed before they turn into cancer or at an early stage when the cancer can be cured. According to the National Cancer Institute, “In pilot studies, screening healthy members of families with Lynch Syndrome for colorectal cancer led to a 62% reduction in colorectal cancer incidence, a more favorable tumor stage at diagnosis, and a 72% reduction in the number of deaths from colorectal cancer in those families.”

  • Having Lynch Syndrome can change the way your cancer is treated. In the past, cancer was treated with a one size fits all approach based on where in your body the cancer was located (colon, breast, lung, etc). In 2017, the FDA approved an immunotherapy (PD-1 inhibitor) treatment for cancer based on a specific genetic feature (biomarker) in tumors rather than the location in the body where the tumor originated. This biomarker is referred to as microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficiency (dMMR). These biomarkers are hallmarks of Lynch Syndrome tumors.