Pre-vivor support
Confronting your personal cancer risk can be confusing and frustrating. If you are a cancer pre-vivor trying to choose the best risk-management option, sometimes it helps to speak with other women who have faced these choices. Learn more about talking with other high-risk women in our website’s FORCE community section or visit the following sections of the FORCE website to find more support resources specifically for pre-vivors. Read the rest of this entry »

Joining FORCEs, the quarterly FORCE newsletter, has articles on breast and ovarian cancer risk management. Volume 1, Issue 2–Fall 2005 has an article on PARP Inhibitors for hereditary cancer treatment, an article on the benefits of exercise on cancer risk and an article on breast reconstruction.

Investing in Cancer Prevention: Giving High-Risk Stakeholders a Place at the Table
This article, published in the August 25, 2005 edition of the Oncology Times, discusses the importance of including pre-vivors as stakeholders in decisions regarding cancer research and funding priorities.

FORCE pre-vivor press release

Up to 14% of ovarian cancer is due to a hereditary change such as a BRCA mutation. Because such a significant portion of ovarian cancer is hereditary, an appointment with an expert such as a geneticist or a genetic counselor is often recommended after an ovarian cancer diagnosis. Learning that ovarian cancer is hereditary may change follow-up recommendations. Further, if a cancer survivor is the first person to have a genetic test in a family, his/her test result may help identify the cause of hereditary cancer in this family. This information can help other family members make decisions about genetic counseling and testing. Read the rest of this entry »

About 10% of breast cancer is due to a hereditary change such as a BRCA mutation. Sometimes, either because of a family history of cancer or because of particular traits of the cancer itself, a diagnosis of breast cancer may suggest that the cancer is hereditary. In these circumstances an appointment with an expert, such as a geneticist or a genetic counselor, is recommended. Hereditary breast cancer and sporadic breast cancer are similar in some ways, but there are also significant differences. Learning that breast cancer is hereditary may change treatment or follow-up recommendations for breast cancer. Also, if a cancer survivor is the first person to have a genetic test in a family, his/her test result may help identify the cause of hereditary cancer in this family. This information can help other family members make decisions about genetic counseling and testing. Read the rest of this entry »

“Cancer pre-vivors®” are individuals who are survivors of a predisposition to cancer but who haven’t had the disease. This group includes people who carry a hereditary mutation, a family history of cancer, or some other predisposing factor. The cancer pre-vivor term evolved from a challenge on the FORCE main message board by Jordan, a website regular, who posted, “I need a label!” As a result, the term cancer pre-vivor was chosen to identify those living with risk. The term specifically applies to the portion of our community which has its own unique needs and concerns separate from the general population, but different from those already diagnosed with cancer. Pre-vivor is a registered trademark by FORCE. Read the rest of this entry »