PHILADELPHIA – With a transformative $10 million gift from Cynthia King, the late Jeffery King, and Jason and Julie Borrelli, Penn Medicine has launched the King Center for Lynch Syndrome —the first named center for Lynch syndrome in the world—at the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania. The King Center will advance research, outreach, education, and patient care for Lynch syndrome , a hereditary condition that affects approximately 1 in 279 individuals, equating to about 1.2 million Americans, and increases the risk of developing certain cancers, including colorectal cancer and endometrial (uterine) cancer.
The gift builds on past philanthropic investments from the King family to increase education and outreach, as the number of individuals with Lynch syndrome receiving care at Penn Medicine has nearly tripled over the last six years. Nearly 1,000 individuals—including many who travel from outside the Philadelphia area and throughout the Northeast—now receive their expert Lynch syndrome care at Penn Medicine.
“Although Lynch syndrome is one of the most common genetic causes of cancer, most people do not know what Lynch syndrome is, and many people living with Lynch syndrome do not know they have it,” said Bryson Katona, MD, PhD , co-founder and the inaugural executive director of the King Center for Lynch Syndrome. “With this impactful support from the King and Borrelli families, we will extend Penn Medicine’s leadership in addressing the needs of the Lynch syndrome community including more cutting-edge research, life-long comprehensive care, and increased awareness.”
Motivated by personal experience with Lynch syndrome, the King and Borrelli families have long-supported Lynch syndrome research and education at Penn Medicine, including sponsoring an annual education and research symposium and endowing the Jeffery and Cynthia King Professorship of Lynch Syndrome Research, currently held by Katona. Jeffery King passed away in August 2025, and his family continues to honor his memory and commitment to supporting patients and research. Julie Borrelli, Jeffery and Cynthia King’s daughter, has served as chair of the Abramson Cancer Center Director's Leadership Council since November 2024.
“My father did not discover that he carried the mutation for Lynch syndrome until he was in his late 60s and battling his second Lynch-related cancer. As we dove deeper into this surprisingly common hereditary condition we were shocked that we had never heard of it and we quickly realized how important awareness was to not only our family but to so many others,” said Julie Borrelli, whose own journey with Lynch syndrome has been dramatically different than her father’s, as she was able to get tested and begin a personalized cancer risk management plan at a much earlier age.
“Early detection followed by routine surveillance has been shown to limit Lynch's impact on life expectancy,” Borrelli explained. “The initial fear of the unknown that our family faced is now filled with tremendous hope through our partnership with Penn Medicine, and our wish is that the King Center will help provide the gift of knowledge to others and the support to continue impactful research and care.”
“The King and Borrelli families have been incredible advocates of our Lynch syndrome program, and we are deeply grateful for their shared commitment to improving the lives of patients and families,” said Robert H. Vonderheide, MD, DPhil , director of the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania. “The King Center for Lynch Syndrome will strengthen our collaborative research ecosystem and accelerate more personalized approaches to early detection, surveillance, and care for individuals at inherited risk.”
People with Lynch syndrome have a mutation in one of the following genes: MLH1 , MSH2 , MSH6 , PMS2 or EPCAM . Typically, these genes help the body prevent cancer from developing, as part of what’s known as the DNA mismatch repair system. When a mutation is present, the gene is unable to perform its normal role in cancer prevention, creating a greater chance for cancer to develop.
Lynch syndrome is the most common cause of both hereditary colorectal cancer and uterine cancer . In the general population, the lifetime risk for developing colorectal cancer is about four percent and about three percent for uterine cancer. Depending on their gene mutation, individuals with Lynch syndrome can have a much higher risk of developing both colorectal cancer (ranging from nine to about 60 percent) and uterine cancer (ranging from 13 to nearly 60 percent). Lynch syndrome can also raise the risk—although to a lesser extent—of other cancers including gastric (stomach), urinary tract, pancreatic, ovarian, and certain skin cancers.
Depending on their mutation type and other factors, personalized cancer risk management for individuals with Lynch syndrome may include a variety of different cancer screenings, which may be necessary at an earlier age or increased frequency compared to what is recommended for the general population. Because Lynch syndrome can impact cancer risk across so many different organs, it’s important to have a Lynch syndrome expert overseeing care—someone who can evaluate an individual’s risk and develop a comprehensive and personalized screening plan.
“Often patients with Lynch syndrome will get their colonoscopy, the most common screening test for this condition, but their gastroenterologist may not know or feel comfortable telling them what to do about their uterine cancer risk, or when their family members should be evaluated for Lynch syndrome and so on,” explained Jessica Long, MS, CGC , a genetic counselor and director of education and outreach for the King Center. “Our goal is to support patients in understanding their comprehensive, evidence-based screening and care recommendations and to empower them to mitigate the burden of cancer in their family.”
Furthermore, national guidelines for the care of Lynch syndrome continue to evolve in response to new research on screening strategies and treatment options for DNA mismatch repair deficient cancers.
The Kings’ and Borrellis’ gift will allow Penn Medicine to expand efforts to educate individuals, families, and health care providers about Lynch syndrome, provide individualized care for those affected, lead clinical trials, and fuel innovative basic science and translational research in Lynch syndrome through funding support to investigators engaged in Lynch syndrome research, as well as growing a comprehensive biobank to advance Lynch syndrome-focused research initiatives.
More than 400 individuals with Lynch syndrome are currently enrolled in clinical research studies at Penn Medicine, many of whom are “previvors,” or people who have a known Lynch syndrome mutation but have never had cancer.
“One of the challenges of Lynch syndrome is that we see highly variable risks across individuals and families—it’s not consistent across the board,” said E. John Wherry, PhD , co-founder of the King Center and chair of the Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics. “We’re actively investigating how the immune system may be working in different ways in different people with Lynch syndrome to increase or decrease their cancer risk, so that we can further personalize cancer risk management plans in the future.”
More than 1,200 blood samples are banked in Penn’s Lynch Syndrome Immune Profiling Project, and more than 100 individuals with Lynch syndrome have participated in biopsy and stool collection studies. These volunteers are Lynch syndrome patients who have chosen to participate in research that could affect their or their families’ futures.
Patients and families and health care or research professionals interested in learning more about the latest Lynch syndrome research and treatment options are welcome to register for the 5th Annual Lynch Syndrome Symposium , hosted by the King Center , on Tuesday, March 10, 2026.
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