Psychosocial Impact of Lynch Syndrome on Affected Individuals and Families

Abstract

Introduction: Lynch syndrome is the most common hereditary colorectal cancer syndrome, conferring a heightened risk not only of colon cancer but also of various extracolonic tumors. Studies in hereditary breast cancer have shown a negative psychological impact for patients testing positive for BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations, but there is a paucity of literature looking at psychosocial impact of LS testing for probands and families.

Methods: A literature search of PubMed English-language articles was performed using the keywords "Lynch syndrome" combined with "psychological impact," "depression," and "anxiety."

Results: Lynch syndrome mutation carriers, whether or not they have had cancer, suffer a transient increase in depression and anxiety scores post-disclosure, which seem to normalize by 6-12 months. Younger patients with higher colorectal cancer risk perception, higher education level, married, and employed are more likely to accept genetic testing. Major motivators for testing are predicting one's own risk of cancer and risk to offspring. Carrier status influences family planning, and there is growing interest for preimplantation genetic diagnosis.

Conclusions: Psychosocial ramifications of LS mutation positivity need to be explored further.