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This week is Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Week and today is Previvor Day. 

All week, we are featuring information about hereditary breast and ovarian cancer as well as information about Penn's Basser Research Center for BRCA 1 and BRCA 2.

“I grew up with breast cancer,” says Sandy Cohen. “My grandmother died of breast cancer in her thirties, and consequently, my mother became obsessed with breast cancer, and worried she’d develop the disease herself.”

When Sandy’s mother developed breast cancer at 50, and passed away 4 years later, the cycle continued as Sandy became what she called “obsessed” with breast cancer herself.

She also became determined not to let fear of breast cancer rule her own life, and the lives of her two young children and family.

Sandy with her children.

“Genetic testing for BRCA had just come out,” recalls Sandy. “And I decided to have the genetic testing after a lot of hesitation because I didn’t want to imagine my children going through life without a mother.”

Sandy tested positive for BRCA1, the genetic mutation that increases a woman’s lifetime risk for breast cancer up to 80%, and also carries with in an elevated risk  for ovarian cancer of up to 45%.

“I was shocked,” says Sandy. “I sort of expected it because breast cancer affected my family, but I was still hopeful I wouldn’t have the gene mutation.”

Sandy is a Previvor.

What is a Previvor?

A previvor is a survivor of a predisposition to cancer. Previvors have unique needs from people with cancer such as active surveillance and screening tests and often need to make treatment decisions based on their risk for inherited cancer.

In 2010, Congress declared the first-ever National Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer (HBOC) Week and National Previvor Day.

The goal of HBOC Week and Previvor Day is to raise awareness about hereditary cancer. HBOC Week marks the transition between National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month and National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and recognizes anyone affected by hereditary breast or ovarian cancer, including women and men with BRCA mutations, people with a family history of cancer, breast and ovarian cancer survivors, and previvors, individuals who carry a strong predisposition to cancer but have not developed the disease.

Sandy is the Philadelphia group founder of the national organizaion, FORCE, which stands for “Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered.” She founded the group after she tested positive for BRCA1and wanted to create a resource in the Philadelphia area for other women who were BRCA positive and needs education and support.

Knowing Risk = Empowerment

“When I first found out about my BRCA status, I felt like a walking time bomb,” says Sandy. “Yet, knowing my own risk for breast and ovarian cancer became very empowering for me. I became educated about my options for early treatment and surveillance, and I could take actions to lower my risk.”

Sandy underwent a double mastectomy, completely removing and reconstructing her breasts, which lowered her risk of breast cancer by approximately 90%. She also underwent an oophorectomy, removal of her ovaries, which further reduced her risk of breast cancer and lowered her risk of ovarian cancer by approximately 70%.

“These decisions were not easy for me, and they are not easy for any woman,” says Sandy. “But today, being a Previvor is a lucky status for me. I feel lucky that I could make informed decisions that could lower my risk for breast and ovarian cancer.”

The Basser Research Center for BRCA at Penn Focuses on BRCA1 and BRCA2

The Basser Research Center for BRCA supports research on the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, harmful forms of which are linked to greatly increased risks of developing breast and ovarian cancer. The Center is named in honor of Mindy Gray’s sister, Faith Basser, who died of ovarian cancer at age 44.

The Basser Research Center for BRCA was established with a $25 million gift to the University of Pennsylvania from alumni Mindy and Jon Gray.

Emphasizing outreach, prevention, early detection, treatment and survivorship, the Basser Research Center for BRCA will contribute to all stages of research and clinical care relevant to BRCA-related cancers.

Learn more about the Basser Research Center.