Genetic Test Can Help You Determine if Colon Cancer is All in the Family

When your doctor asks about your family history of cancer do you suddenly realize, “hey, it seems as if there’s a lot of colon cancer in my family?” If this sounds like you there’s a genetic test available for hereditary colon cancer that could provide some valuable information.

But there’s a catch – you wouldn’t be at risk for only colon cancer. The genes that are associated with hereditary colon cancer are also associated with other cancers: endometrial, ovarian, stomach, pancreatic and brain to name a few.

If mutated these genes, named MLH1, MSH2 and MSH6, can increase your lifetime risk of colon cancer from 2 percent to up to 82 percent. The lifetime risk for endometrial (uterine) cancer can increase from 1.5 percent to up to 71 percent. If that’s not a compelling enough reason to urge you to seek testing, keep in mind that all first-degree relatives (parents, sisters, brothers, children) have up to a 50 percent risk of inheriting a mutation, which can put them at a significantly increased risk for developing cancers associated with Lynch Syndrome.

What’s Lynch Syndrome? I’m glad you asked. Lynch Syndrome is the name for the cancer causing mutation in either one of the earlier mentioned genes. There are recommended screening and prevention measures for people with Lynch Syndrome. The screening includes colonoscopy every one to two years starting between ages 20-25 and annually at age 40; transvaginal ultrasounds; endometrial tissue sampling; and CA-125 (a blood test for detection of ovarian cancer) every one to two years starting at ages 25-35.

Some of the surgical prevention options include removal of the colon, hysterectomy (removal of the uterus) and/or removing the ovaries preventatively. These screening and surgical measures can dramatically reduce your risk of these cancers if you have Lynch Syndrome. You can find out more about Lynch Syndrome and other inherited cancer testing by calling me at (772) 223-5945, ext. 1669.

--Lindsay Mattino, RN, BA
Clinical Research Coordinator,
Genetics Nurse Educator