How I took steps in my 20s as a ‘previvor’ to avoid getting cancer

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. I’ve also had to spend a lot of tim…