HNPCC Info

July 10, 2009: Lynch syndrome, often called hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC), is a type of inherited cancer of the digestive tract, particularly the colon (large intestine) and rectum. People with Lynch syndrome have an increased risk of cancers of the stomach, small intestine, liver, gallbladder ducts, upper urinary tract, brain, skin, and prostate. Women with this disorder also have a high risk of cancer of the endometrium (lining of the uterus) and ovaries. Even though the disorder was originally described as not involving noncancerous (benign) growths (polyps) in the colon, people with Lynch syndrome may occasionally have colon polyps. In individuals with this disorder, colon polyps occur at an earlier age than in the general population. Although the polyps do not occur in greater numbers than in the general population, they are more likely to become cancerous.  

1996: H Muta et al. Cancer 77 (2), 265-70 (15 Jan 1996) info:pmid/8625233 info:doi/10.1002/(SICI)1097-0142(19960115)77:2%3C265::AID-CNCR7%3E3.0.CO;2-L BACKGROUND. Microsatellite instability (MI) has been reported in some sporadic colon tumors and in cases of hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC). The criteria for HNPCC have not been fully defined, and clinical criteria are used to identify as many HNPCC patients as possible. To clarify the conformity of these criteria with the identification of eligible HNPCC cases, we analyzed MI in HNPCC patients diagnosed using clinical criteria. METHODS. Genomic DNA was extracted from surgical specimens of 56 colorectal cancers, including 36 from patients diagnosed with HNPCC using the clinical criteria. We analyzed four microsatellite loci using 32P-labeled primers. RESULTS. Among HNPCC patients diagnosed using clinical criteria, patients who were positive for MI accounted for 62% of Group A (a confirmed group) and 35% of Group B...