Understanding cancer risk factors in people with Lynch syndrome

The GEOLynch Cohort Study is following people with Lynch syndrome — a hereditary condition that significantly increases the risk of colorectal and other cancers — to understand what factors influence who develops cancer and when. Researchers are collecting information about diet, physical activity, medications, and lifestyle, along with blood samples, to identify patterns that might help predict and prevent cancer in people with this genetic condition.

Lynch syndrome carriers face much higher cancer risks than the general population, but not everyone with the same genetic mutation develops cancer at the same age or severity. By studying many people with Lynch syndrome together, researchers hope to discover which environmental and lifestyle factors — like diet and exercise — either increase or decrease cancer risk, so that doctors can offer better, more personalized guidance to patients.