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Coping and support
By Mayo Clinic staffKnowing that you or your family members have an increased risk of cancer can be stressful. Helpful ways to cope might include:
- Find out all you can about Lynch syndrome. Write down all of your questions about Lynch syndrome and ask them at your next appointment with your doctor or genetic counselor. Ask your health care team for further sources of information. Learning about Lynch syndrome can help you feel more confident when making decisions about your health.
- Take care of yourself. Knowing that you have an increased risk of cancer can make you feel as though you can't control your health. But control what you can. For instance, choose a healthy diet, exercise regularly and get enough sleep so that you wake feeling rested. Go to all of your scheduled medical appointments, including your cancer-screening exams.
- Connect with others. Find friends and family with whom you can discuss your fears. Talking with others can help you cope. Find other trusted people you can talk with, such as clergy members. Ask your doctor for a referral to a therapist who can help you understand your feelings.
References
- Genetics of colorectal cancer (PDQ): Health professional version. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/genetics/colorectal/healthprofessional. Accessed Dec. 16, 2009.
- Lindor NM, et al. Concise handbook of familial cancer susceptibility syndromes. Journal of the National Cancer Institute Monographs. 2008;38:1.
- Lynch HT, et al. Review of the Lynch syndrome: History, molecular genetics, screening, differential diagnosis and medicolegal ramifications. Clinical Genetics. 2009;76:1.
- 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.
- Offit K, et al. Genetic factors: Hereditary cancer predisposition syndromes. In: Abeloff MD, et al. Abeloff's Clinical Oncology. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone; 2008:180.
- Koornstra JK, et al. Management of extracolonic tumours in patients with Lynch syndrome. Lancet Oncology. 2009;10:400.
- Making sense of your genes: A guide to genetic counseling. National Society of Genetic Counselors. http://www.nsgc.org/client_files/GuidetoGeneticCounseling.pdf. Accessed Dec. 16, 2009.
- Lindor NM (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Dec. 19, 2009.
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