Simple Saliva Test Can Spot Lynch Syndrome, Yet Most Americans Remain Unaware
A cheap, non-invasive saliva test can identify Lynch syndrome—a hereditary cancer risk—but roughly 95% of carriers in the U.S. have never been diagnosed.
Lynch syndrome, an inherited condition that can increase colorectal cancer risk by up to 56% and elevate chances of several other cancers, can be detected through a quick saliva or cheek-swab test. Although about 1 in 279 Americans carry the mutation, roughly 95% are undiagnosed, resulting in many patients only learning of it after cancer develops, as illustrated by Bryce Ramsey’s and Michelle York’s families. Researchers say early genetic identification would allow earlier colonoscopies, hysterectomies, or oophorectomies, potentially preventing cancers in the 20s and 30s. The CDC currently recommends testing tumors from colon or uterine cancer patients, but broader population screening is limited.
Companies like Helix are working with health systems to launch “Population Genomics” initiatives aimed at finding hidden carriers. Experts caution that while lifestyle factors also drive rising early-onset cancers, expanding family-history and gene testing represents the most immediate preventive tool.
Why it matters
Early detection of Lynch syndrome can dramatically reduce cancer risk for millions of Americans.
In this story
