1 in 40 Ashkenazi Jewish women carry a BRCA mutation that puts them at higher risk of breast and/or ovarian cancer. 1 in 40. To me, that's an astoundingly large number. It's also scary as hell. Getting genetic testing is a very personal choice, and one that carries both risks and benefits - the question is, which one outweighs the other for each individual woman? There's an organization, FORCE (Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered), which is dedicated to improving the lives of women dealing with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. They coined the term "previvor", which is someone who knows their risk and has taken steps to reduce their risk. I'm not sure how I feel about that term, but I think the organization is an excellent one.
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