News - Penn State Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Colorectal Cancer month/Lynch Syndrome excerpt

"Lynch syndrome, previously referred to as hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer or HNPCC, represents the most common hereditary cause of colorectal cancer.
Approximately 1 in 400 to 1 in 500 individuals in the general population are estimated to have Lynch syndrome.

Knowledge, as they say, in this condition, is power. Not only should individuals with Lynch syndrome start their colonoscopies earlier (at 20-25 years of age) and have them more frequently (every 1-2 years), they should also be screened for stomach and small intestine cancer, urinary tract cancers involving the kidneys and ureters, and the hepatobiliary tract, including the gallbladder, bile duct, pancreas and liver.

Further, women with Lynch syndrome should be aware of the increased risk for both endometrial and ovarian cancer and offered the option of prophylactic surgery following childbearing."