I am a GI-surgeon and founder of the Finnish Lynch Syndrome Research Registry (LSRFi). I started to study and collect LS-families in 1982, and in my thesis published in 1987 it was possible to characterize the main clinical and histopathological features of this syndrome based on 22 families with over 200 well-documented cancer cases. I have participated and collaborated with all the international societies and collaborative groups organized around Lynch syndrome research in Europe during the last 35 years.

The search for predisposing genes was organized in Helsinki in the late 1980`s, and was successful in collaboration with several research groups, when MSH2 gene was in 1993 localized and later characterized. In 1995, the predictive DNA testing was already completed in 50 Finnish LS families, and today there are over 350 families and about 2000 gene carriers participating life-long surveillance organized by LSRFi.

The LSRFi is research-orientated and competitively funded nation-wide registry, which analyses the effectiveness of cancer prevention and collects data, blood and tissue specimen in LS families. LSRFi was one of the main centers enabling the CAPP2 aspirin chemoprevention trial and currently participating in the CAPP3 dose-finding trial.