Skin cancer and colon cancer syndrome may be linked

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A syndrome that increases the risk of some skin cancers may be a subset of a syndrome that increases the risk of colon cancer, report researchers from The Ohio State University, Columbus.

Some people with Lynch syndrome -- an inherited condition that predisposes a person to colon cancer -- are also at greater risk for developing certain skin cancers, a condition known as Muir-Torre syndrome, Dr. Albert de la Chapelle and colleagues explain in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute for February 20.

They found that the skin lesions in patients with Muir-Torre syndrome are characterized by the same molecular defects as tumors in patients with Lynch syndrome.

Because skin tumors often develop before Lynch syndrome is diagnosed in these patients, "all individuals who are diagnosed with a Muir-Torre syndrome-related skin lesions should be screened for Lynch syndrome," the researchers advise.

To determine the frequency of Muir-Torre syndrome in patients with Lynch syndrome, they studied 152 Lynch syndrome patients from 50 different families.

Fourteen families (28 percent) with Lynch syndrome had one family member who had a history of a Muir-Torre syndrome-related tumor (9.2 percent of 152 individuals with Lynch syndrome), leading the study team to suggest that "Muir-Torre syndrome be defined as a variant of Lynch syndrome."

Dr. de la Chapelle's group also observed that 57 percent of individuals affected by both conditions presented with skin disease first.

They therefore recommend that patients with Muir-Torre syndrome undergo further genetic testing to determine if they have Lynch syndrome, in which case intensive cancer surveillance would be warranted. Conversely, they suggest that an annual skin examination is a "reasonable strategy" for patients with Lynch syndrome.

SOURCE: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, February 20, 2008.