Uterine cancer and Medicare funded testing in Australia

Medicare funded testing is individuals diagnosed with uterine cancer (cancer of the womb), if there is a 10% chance of Lynch syndrome based on the personal or family history. (See Medicare item number item 73354 for details)

Usually, this would mean a personal or family history of colon (bowel) cancer but can also include other Lynch syndrome related cancers including stomach, pancreas, urothelial (eg kidney, ureter or bladder), brain or even unusual skin cancers called sebaceous carcinomas, especially if these occurred at a young age.

Medicare funded testing is also available for individuals with uterine cancer if the MMR IHC staining test shows loss of staining for one or more of the Lynch syndrome proteins. This MMR IHC testing is Medicare funded and usually performed automatically on all uterine and bowel cancers in Australia. It can even be done on the tumour block (the stored tumour sample that must be kept for 7 to 10 years by the pathology lab).

You can read more about Lynch syndrome and the mismatch repair genes here.

The test must be ordered by a specialist or consultant physician (not a GP).