Nonpolyposis Hereditary Colon Cancer or Lynch Syndrome

Abstract

Colorectal cancer occurs in the large intestine, tumors form in the lining of the colon and rectum. This type of cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in industrialized countries following lung cancer. 80% of colorectal cancers occur sporadically, 10% are familial, and the remaining 5-10% are hereditary, of which 4-5% are attributed to Lynch syndrome or CCHNP. The genes that are associated with a greater proportion of cases to the CCHNP are MLH1, MSH2, MSH6 and PMS2. In Lynch syndrome, colon carcinoma is characterized by appearing at an early age (before age 50), localizing in the right colon and a higher frequency of synchronous or metachronous tumors. The objective is to carry out a bibliographical search of the most exhaustive possible in updated databases, both national and international: PubMed, SciELO, Ibecs, The Cochrane Library.