Nondiscrimination Policy Update

Boston Medical Center Health System complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, national origin (including limited English proficiency and primary language), religion, culture, physical or mental disabilities, socioeconomic status, sex, sexual orientation and gender identity and/or expression. BMCHS provides free aids and services to people with disabilities and free language services to people whose primary language is not English.

To read our full Nondiscrimination Statement, click here.

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Lynch Syndrome

Lynch syndrome, also known as hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC), is an inherited disorder that significantly increases the risk of various cancers, particularly colorectal cancer. It also causes cancers to happen at an earlier age than they might otherwise develop.

Symptoms

The symptoms of Lynch syndrome are usually symptoms of the cancers it causes. 

That means that unless you know someone in your family has Lynch syndrome and you get genetic testing, you might not know you have it until you get cancer.

Treatments

There's no cure for Lynch syndrome, so it's important to get regular cancer screenings. Catching cancer early can help increase the success of treatment. 

Risk Factors

Lynch syndrome is hereditary, which means it's caused by genes passed from a parent to their child. If one parent has the genes that cause Lynch syndrome, each of their children will have a 50 percent chance of having Lynch syndrome.

Departments and Programs Who Treat This Condition

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Colon and Rectal Surgery

BMC’s colorectal surgeons offer cutting-edge surgical treatments for conditions that affect the colon, rectum, and anus, in coordinating with other specialists.