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Complications
By Mayo Clinic staffBeyond complications for your health, a genetic disorder such as Lynch syndrome may be cause for other concerns. A genetic counselor is trained to help you navigate the areas of your life that may be affected by your diagnosis, such as:
- Your privacy. The results of your genetic test will be listed in your medical record, which may be accessed by insurance companies and employers. You may worry that being diagnosed with Lynch syndrome will make it difficult to change jobs or health insurance providers in the future. Federal laws protect Americans from discrimination. A genetic counselor can explain legal protections.
- Your extended family. A Lynch syndrome diagnosis has implications for your entire family. You may worry about the best way to tell family members that you're undergoing genetic testing. A genetic counselor can guide you through this process.
- Your children. If you have Lynch syndrome, your children have a risk of inheriting your genetic mutations. If one parent carries a genetic mutation for Lynch syndrome, each child has a 50 percent chance of inheriting that mutation.
References
- Genetics of colorectal cancer (PDQ). National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/genetics/colorectal/healthprofessional. Accessed Jan. 24, 2012.
- Lindor NM, et al. Concise handbook of familial cancer susceptibility syndromes. Journal of the National Cancer Institute Monographs. 2008;38:1.
- Colorectal cancer screening. Fort Washington, Pa.: National Comprehensive Cancer Network. http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/f_guidelines.asp. Accessed Jan. 31, 2012.
- Lindor NM, et al. Recommendations for the care of individuals with an inherited predisposition to Lynch syndrome: A systematic review. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2006;296:1507.
- Abeloff MD, et al. Abeloff's Clinical Oncology. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone; 2008:180.
- Backes FJ, et al. Lynch syndrome. Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2011;54:199.
- Making sense of your genes: A guide to genetic counseling. National Society of Genetic Counselors. http://www.nsgc.org/client_files/GuidetoGeneticCounseling.pdf. Accessed Jan. 24, 2012.
- Kaltenbach T, et al. Image-enhanced endoscopy is critical in the detection, diagnosis and treatment of non-polypoid colorectal neoplasms. Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Clinics of North America. 2010;20:471.
- Pande M, et al. Smoking and colorectal cancer in Lynch syndrome: Results from the Colon Cancer Family Registry and the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. 2010;16:1331.
- Burn J, et al. Long-term effect of aspirin on cancer risk in carriers of hereditary colorectal cancer: An analysis from the CAPP2 randomised controlled trial. Lancet. 2011;378:2081.
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