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Lynch Syndrome Awareness Day in Nebraska

An estimated three of every 100 cases of colon cancer are the result of a hereditary genetic condition called Lynch Syndrome.

Thursday is Lynch Syndrome Awareness Day. It’s named for Dr. Henry Lynch, the Director of Creighton University’s Hereditary Cancer Center. He discovered the genetic condition, which is passed down through generations. People with Lynch Syndrome are at increased risk of colon and other types of cancer.

Kelli Urbach, a 27-year-old special education assistant at Omaha’s Paddock Elementary School, was diagnosed with Lynch Syndrome last year. Her grandma and great-grandma died of uterine cancer. Urbach says it’s important to be tested for the Syndrome if you have a family history of certain types of cancer.

Urbach hopes to begin a chapter ofLynch Syndrome International in Omaha.

March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month. Information on where to get free testing kits is available at www.douglascountyhealth.com.