Her family kept getting cancer. At 33, a saliva test explained why.

York’s mother found a possible reason cancer had affected their family: Lynch syndrome, an inherited genetic condition that raises the risk of several cancers. It often has no symptoms and may go undetected until someone develops cancer.

The condition can substantially increase lifetime colorectal cancer risk and is also linked to cancers including uterine and ovarian cancer. An estimated one in 300 Americans has Lynch syndrome, according to the article.

York was 33 and experiencing pelvic pain from complex ovarian cysts, which can make tumors harder to spot. Her family history made careful evaluation especially important because Lynch syndrome also raises ovarian cancer risk.

After her mother tested positive, York and her two siblings were offered saliva tests through their doctor. York said the test was simple and that her insurance covered it because of her mother’s result. A genetic counselor then discussed their cancer risks and typical ages of onset.

York described initial anxiety about what the diagnosis might mean, but said years of screening have brought reassurance. She and her family began having yearly colonoscopies; none had developed cancer at the time of the article, though they had experienced scares.