A Historical Argument for Changing the Name of a Major Syndrome

Dr Aldred Scott Warthin discovered a "cancerous" family in the early 1900s, mapped its kindred, and studied their diseases to the extent possible in his day. His seminal article was published in 1913. Dr Henry Lynch took Warthin's studies and began using more modern techniques to characterize this so-called "Family G," beginning in the 1960s. Somehow in this process, Warthin's observations became "Lynch syndrome." We need a better name for this condition, and propose "Warthin-Lynch syndrome" to also honor its primary discoverer.