Physicians of the Zane Cohen Centre

What causes LS?

LS is a hereditary condition. This means that it can be passed down from parent to child through our genes. Each cell in our body carries thousands of genes that tell our bodies how to grow, develop and function properly. LS is a condition caused by a change in a gene; this is called a mutation. Mutations cause our genes not to work correctly and this can lead to certain diseases such as LS.

Everyone has two copies of every gene (including the LS genes); one copy was inherited from their father and one copy from their mother. For families with LS, the children and siblings of someone with LS have a 50% (1 in 2) chance of inheriting that same LS mutation.

It is not actually the cancer that is inherited, but rather the increased risk of developing cancer that is inherited. The gene mutation increases a person's chance of developing cancer but does not mean that they will definitely develop cancer.