If it runs in your family,
you can find out

Lynch syndrome is an inherited condition that raises a person's lifetime risk of several cancers, including colorectal, uterine and stomach cancer. It is passed down through families, and most people who carry it do not know.

Who should ask about testing

• Anyone with a close blood relative who has been diagnosed with Lynch syndrome
• Families where colorectal or uterine cancer has appeared more than once
• Anyone whose relative was diagnosed with one of these cancers young, particularly under fifty
• Anyone who has had one of these cancers themselves and has never been tested

What to do next

Tell your doctor that Lynch syndrome runs in your family and ask to be referred to a genetic counsellor. The testing itself is straightforward. What matters is starting the conversation, because knowing changes how and how often you get screened, and screening is what catches these cancers while they can still be treated.

Jennifer was twenty three when she was diagnosed and twenty five when she left us. Her diagnosis is the reason the rest of her family knew to get tested at all. More than ten of them have been since.

This page is written by Jennifer's family, not by doctors. It is here to point you toward the right conversation, not to replace one. Please talk to a medical professional about your own situation.