Opinion: How I took steps in my 20s as a previvor' to avoid getting cancer

"I've never had cancer. But it has still shaped my entire life. I'm a BRCA1 previvor. You may never have heard that term before; it was coined by an organization called FORCE over 25 years ago. I carry a gene mutation that increases my risk for breast and ovarian cancer and other kinds, and that's why, even though I'm in my late 20s, I've already undergone high-risk surveillance and a preventative mastectomy."

"My mom learned that she was BRCA positive when I was 3 years old. By taking preventative steps including a prophylactic mastectomy she was able to prevent getting cancer. Her experience was a turning point for my whole family. Knowledge is power By the time I was 20, I knew I needed to get tested. I was nervous, but what you hear all the time that knowledge is power is true. I needed to know."

I am a BRCA1 previvor who carries a gene mutation that increases risk for breast, ovarian, and other cancers. By my late 20s I underwent high-risk surveillance and a preventative mastectomy and confronted fertility preservation decisions. My mother tested BRCA positive when I was three and took prophylactic steps, including mastectomy, preventing cancer and shaping family choices. I sought genetic testing at twenty, accepted the positive result, and initially focused on monitoring rather than immediate surgery after surgeon counseling. Preventive options are highly personal; timing, medical guidance, and family experience influenced my decisions.

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