GETTING STARTED
Welcome
Overview
If you’re reading this, you’re probably worried about your risk for cancer. Whether you’re just beginning to explore this issue or you’re further along in your journey, this page is addressed to you. Thinking about cancer can be scary, but we believe that receiving information and support is comforting, empowering, or even life-saving. Take a deep breath and try to relax. As you navigate this site, take time to digest the information and determine what it means for you.
Understanding your risk
Every woman is at some risk for breast and ovarian cancer. However, the exact risk for each person is different because of many factors including age, reproductive history, lifestyle, and genetics. You can learn more about cancer risk assessment and hereditary breast and ovarian cancer risks by visiting our pages on these topics.
Although most cancer is not considered to be hereditary, there are families in which the incidence of cancer is very high. The members of these families may carry a change in their DNA that makes them more susceptible to cancer. If these changes (called mutations) are hereditary, they can be passed on to the next generation. To learn more about hereditary cancer risk, we encourage you to visit our hereditary cancer and cancer genetics section.
Genetics specialists
If you believe that breast or ovarian cancer runs in your family, you may want to contact a cancer genetic counselor or geneticist. These health care professionals can help determine your risk for hereditary cancer. Although they cannot tell you whether you will or won’t get cancer, these experts can calculate a statistical range of your risk for certain cancers.
There are several ways to contact a genetics expert near you. Visit our page on genetic counseling for more information.
The good news is that, although we are all at some risk for cancer, for most of us the risk is lower than we think.
Genetic testing
You've probably heard about a test to determine whether you carry one of the mutations that increase your risk for breast or ovarian cancer. The procedure is a simple blood test, but its implications can be very complex. The best way to learn about the intricacies of genetic testing is by speaking with a specially-trained cancer genetics expert. For more information on genetic testing, visit our page on genetic testing.
Genetic information, privacy & discrimination
Perhaps you’ve heard there are concerns about genetic discrimination by insurance companies or employers. The laws regulating health insurance and life insurance vary from state to state; but, even if your state provides relatively good protection from discrimination, you should know that some types of health insurance plans may be exempt from state regulation. Federal laws also provide some protection against health insurance discrimination based on genetic test results, but this protection is limited. For more information, please visit our page on privacy and discrimination concerns.
Although issues of genetic discrimination are real, there have been few published cases of genetic discrimination based on BRCA genetic testing. As with all aspects of genetic testing, each individual must weigh the risk and fear of genetic discrimination against the possible benefits of the test.
Exploring your options
If you have already had genetic counseling and learned that you are at high risk for breast and ovarian cancer, you can find out more about your options for managing your cancer risk in our risk management section.
The general categories for risk management include surveillance, chemoprevention, and surgery. Researchers periodically conduct clinical trials in early detection or prevention for high-risk women. Our clinical trials and research page includes links to studies that are currently being conducted in these areas.
Finding support
Wherever you are in the process of determining your cancer risk or risk management options, there is a good chance that you can find others in your situation within our FORCE community section.
Confronting cancer risk can be a complex, confusing, and highly individual journey. Everyone’s path is slightly different because there are no guaranteed prevention, screening, or treatment options. FORCE does not have definitive answers or medical solutions -- unfortunately, no one does at this time -- but we can help you navigate these uncharted waters by equipping you with resources, information, and support.
After all, we are all in the same boat. 
Sue Friedman, Executive Director