Even though I have been diagnosed with HNPCC, I did not meet the criteria most physicians use to determine risk for HNPCC. The Amsterdam criteria is a tool used by many physicians and health care workers for determining risk for HNPCC. I would not have been high risk because I did not have a first degree relative who had colon cancer, although my twin sister had a history of polyps at 18 and 26 and I did in my 30s.
Get the Facts: http://genefacts.org Lynch syndrome is a cancer predisposition syndrome caused by inherited mutations in genes responsible for correcting DNA replication errors. Individuals with Lynch syndrome have a greatly increased risk for colorectal, endometrial, and stomach cancers, and a moderately increased risk for other cancers. Key Points 1-3% of colon cancers attributable to Lynch syndrome Dominant inheritance with reduced penetrance (not all patients with mutations will manifest disease) Diagnosis based on clinical and family history, tumor pathology and/or genetic testing Screening and prophylactic surgeries effective in reducing some, but not all cancer risks Mutations in any of several genes can cause the syndrome
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