Lynch Syndrome Testing for all Bowel Cancer Patients in Wales

In June 2019 Wales became the first nation in the UK to commit to test all bowel cancer patients for Lynch Syndrome. Colorectal MDTs will implement the service for patients in the coming months.

Lynch Syndrome is a condition which can increase the risk of bowel cancer by up to 80%. The chance of it being passed onto children within the same family unit is 50%.

This new commitment by NHS Wales, will pave the way to earlier, targeted interventions improving outcomes for bowel cancer patients in the future. It will achieve this through the pro-active testing of all individuals who are diagnosed with a bowel cancer.

Where a pathogenic gene variant is found, this will enable the NHS to target affected families with regular screening. This will have a huge impact on many lives through earlier surveillance and interventions.

The AWMGS laboratory service support for Lynch syndrome testing in Wales will be launched this September.