FORCE Blog | screening and prevention

Hereditary Cancer and Genetic Testing

Hereditary Cancer

Learn about gene changes called mutations, how inherited mutations can lead to cancer, what types of cancer may be hereditary and how parents can pass gene mutations to their children.

What is Genetic Testing?

Explore information about genetic testing for an inherited mutation, the benefits and limitations of genetic testing and the type of results you might receive.

How to Get Genetic Testing

Review expert guidelines regarding who should consider genetic testing, how to find a genetics expert and how to move forward with testing.

Hereditary Cancer Genes and Risk

Read about different genes that are linked to hereditary cancer and the risks associated with inherited mutations in these genes.

After Testing, Now What?

Learn how to make medical decisions and assemble your health care team once you receive your genetic test results.

Sharing with Family

Discover steps that will help you prepare to communicate your family medical history or genetic test results with relatives.

Risk Management and Treatment

Screening and Risk Reduction

Review national guidelines for cancer screening and prevention; this information is listed by gene mutation and by cancer type.

Cancer Treatment

Read about cancer treatment options listed by gene mutation, type of cancer and type of treatment.

Reconstruction or Going Flat

Understand options for having breast reconstruction or not after mastectomy.

Menopause

Learn about symptoms and options for managing early menopause caused by cancer treatment or preventive surgery.

Wellbeing and Survivorship

Discover how cancer treatment and prevention affects long-term health, quality of life and emotional well-being; explore options for addressing these issues.

Fertility and Family Planning

Understand the effects of cancer treatment and prevention on fertility and family planning, how pregnancy impacts hereditary cancer risk and options for assisted reproduction.

Research and Clinical Trials

Why Enroll in Research?

Learn why you should consider enrolling in a research study and your rights and protections as a research participant.

How to Find Studies

These tips and resources will help you locate clinical trials and studies enrolling people like you.

Search and Enroll

Ready to enroll? Our tools will help match you to hereditary cancer detection, prevention and treatment studies.

Help Shape Research

FORCE trains patients who are new to science to use their personal experiences to help guide hereditary cancer research.

Privacy, Policy and Legal Issues

Laws and Protections

Learn about key laws and legal protections that impact people with, or at increased risk of, hereditary cancer; and, how to file a grievance or complaint.

Public Policy Priorities

See what legislative and regulatory policy issues FORCE is actively engaged in, representing the unique needs of people and families affected by hereditary cancer.

Advocacy Archive

Read about the public policy initiatives that FORCE undertook in the past, ensuring that the voice of the hereditary cancer community was heard.

Advocacy Day

Advocacy Day brings the community together to educate Members of Congress about important issues faced by people with or at increased risk of hereditary cancers.

Support

Personalized Guidance

Get matched with a Peer Navigator volunteer who shares a similar experience as you for confidential 1:1 phone/email support and receive a free expert-reviewed resource guide.

Support Meetings and State Volunteers

Attend meetings or connect with volunteers in your state to obtain support, resources and information.

Message Boards

Our message boards are available 24/7 and are the easiest way to reach out to others who are facing hereditary cancer.

Private Facebook Group

In this group, you can connect with others who are affected by hereditary cancer. Let’s unite and support each other.

Helpline

Peer volunteers return calls within 48 hours and provide nonjudgmental support and resources in English and Spanish. A Genetic Counselor helpline is also available.

Find Healthcare Providers

Locate medical experts who are knowledgeable in cancer genetics.

Insurance and Paying for Care

Find information on insurance coverage and financial assistance for genetic services, risk management and cancer treatment.

Volunteer

FORCE has opportunities for people of our community to get involved in significant ways to raise awareness, provide support or help promote research of hereditary cancer.

Education

Behind the Headlines (XRAY)

Our XRAY program takes you behind the headlines to bring you reliable information about cancer research-related news and information.

Conference

Joining FORCEs Against Hereditary Cancer is a virtual conference designed to empower individuals and families facing hereditary cancer.

Webinars

Our live and on demand webinars feature presentations by experts on topics of interest and importance to our community.

Blog

Our blogs feature personal perspectives and deep dives into topics of interest to the hereditary cancer community.

Brochures

Order or download our educational materials.

Glossary

Find definitions for commonly used terms.

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Books And Movies (18)

Breast Reconstruction And Going Flat (11)

Cancer Treatment (14)

Decision Making (4)

Diversity And Inclusion (18)

Emotional Health And Well Being (4)

FORCE And FORCE Impact (30)

Family Communication (3)

Fertility And Parenting (3)

Genetic Testing (23)

Health Equity And Disparities (14)

Health And Fitness (5)

Hereditary Cancer - General (14)

Inspirational (27)

Laws, Protections And Public Policy (27)

Men With Mutations (13)

Partnerships (7)

Quality Of Life (3)

Risk Management (9)

Supporting FORCE (5)

Volunteer Spotlight (61)

Did Breastfeeding my Daughter Reduce my Ovarian Cancer Risk?

May 03, 2021

Did Breastfeeding my Daughter Reduce my Ovarian Cancer Risk?

Posted in: XRAY , Previvor
Tags: Hereditary Cancer , Cancer Prevention , Ovarian Cancer , Previvor , Screening And Prevention

Most Recent

Chemotherapy Skin Care and Preventing Skin Infections

FORCE is Grateful for the Genetic Counselors Who Volunteer for Us

Education has Prepared Me to be a Better Advocate

Lynch Syndrome, an ATM Mutation and Issues of Gender Identity and Fertility Access

Volunteer Spotlight – Stephanie Heisser and Pam Hennen

Applying Personalized Medicine to Disease Screening and Prevention

August 06, 2012

Applying Personalized Medicine to Disease Screening and Prevention

Posted in: Laws, Protections And Public Policy
Tags: BRCA , Genetics , Hereditary Cancer , Breast Cancer , Cancer Prevention , Hereditary Cancer Research , Ovarian Cancer , Genetic Counseling , Genetic Testing , Prophylactic Mastectomy , BRCA1 , BRCA2 , Prophylactic Surgery , Survivor , Ovarian Cancer Early Detection , HBOC , Prostate Cancer , PSA , USPSTF , Early Detection , Personalized Medicine , Screening And Prevention

HBOC Week 2012: A Call to Arms

September 23, 2012

HBOC Week 2012: A Call to Arms

Posted in: FORCE And FORCE Impact , Hereditary Cancer - General
Tags: BRCA , Breast Cancer , Ovarian Cancer , BRCA1 , BRCA2 , Young Survivor , HBOC , Prostate Cancer , USPSTF , Screening And Prevention

Weighing the Risks and Benefits of Screening Mammography

December 03, 2012

Weighing the Risks and Benefits of Screening Mammography

Posted in: Research , Risk Management
Tags: BRCA , Breast Cancer , Hereditary Cancer Research , BRCA1 , BRCA2 , Previvor , Young Survivor , HBOC , USPSTF , Screening And Prevention

Drawing Attention To High-risk Screening

January 17, 2013

Drawing Attention To High-risk Screening

Posted in: Risk Management , Guidelines
Tags: BRCA , Breast Cancer , Cancer Prevention , Hereditary Cancer Research , Prophylactic Mastectomy , BRCA1 , BRCA2 , Previvor , Prophylactic Surgery , Survivor , Ovarian Cancer Early Detection , HBOC , USPSTF , Screening And Prevention

February 24, 2013

Hopeful Progress in Ovarian Cancer Prevention Research

Posted in: Research
Tags: BRCA, Cancer Prevention, Hereditary Cancer Research, Ovarian Cancer, Genetic Testing, BRCA1, BRCA2, Prophylactic Surgery, Ovarian Cancer Early Detection, Screening And Prevention

March 16, 2013

Creating More Resources for High-Risk Women Undergoing Breast Cancer Screening

Posted in: Laws, Protections And Public Policy , Risk Management
Tags: BRCA, Breast Cancer, Cancer Prevention, Prophylactic Mastectomy, BRCA1, BRCA2, Prophylactic Surgery, Survivor, Young Survivor, Exercise, Screening And Prevention

March 22, 2013

Gene Discovery, Patents, and the Community

Posted in: FORCE And FORCE Impact , Hereditary Cancer - General
Tags: BRCA, Hereditary Cancer, Breast Cancer, Hereditary Cancer Research, Genetic Counseling, Genetic Testing, BRCA1, BRCA2, Previvor, HBOC, Screening And Prevention

November 09, 2020

Is it Safe to Get a Mammogram or Breast MRI During the Pandemic?

Posted in: Risk Management , COVID19
Tags: Screening And Prevention

December 03, 2009

The community speaks out! Your thoughts on the USPSTF breast screening guideline changes.

Posted in: Laws, Protections And Public Policy
Tags: Screening And Prevention, Cancer Screening

November 16, 2021

Headline Hype: One simple blood test to detect 50 cancers? Not yet

Posted in: Risk Management , XRAY
Tags: Previvor, Screening And Prevention

June 14, 2021

Actor Chad Boseman’s Death Raises Questions about Colorectal Cancer in African Americans

Posted in: XRAY , Health Equity And Disparities
Tags: Screening And Prevention, Health Disparities, Health Equity, Colorectal Cancer

May 23, 2022

Prevent Cancer Dialogue makes an in-person return for 2022 conference

Posted in: Featured Partner
Tags: Screening And Prevention, Health Equity

September 14, 2022

Living with Hereditary Cancer Risk: FORCE Takes Another Step Forward for the Hereditary Cancer Community

Posted in: Books And Movies , Hereditary Cancer - General
Tags: Hereditary Cancer, Genetic Counseling, Genetic Testing, Screening And Prevention, Cancer Risk, Inherited Mutations

March 01, 2017

Making Postmastectomy Decisions: The Right Input is Critical

Posted in: Breast Reconstruction And Going Flat , XRAY
Tags: BRCA, Breast Cancer, Genetic Testing, Prophylactic Mastectomy, BRCA1, BRCA2, Previvor, Prophylactic Surgery, Survivor, Screening And Prevention, Reconstruction Or Going Flat, Mastectomy

September 20, 2017

WISDOM Study: Investigating a Personalized Approach to Breast Cancer Screening

Posted in: Research
Tags: Hereditary Cancer Research, Genetic Counseling, Genetic Testing, Personalized Medicine, Screening And Prevention, Mammogram

October 23, 2017

No Longer Alone: 1000 People Benefit from Personalized Cancer Risk Support

Posted in: FORCE And FORCE Impact
Tags: BRCA, Hereditary Cancer, Breast Cancer, Cancer Prevention, Hereditary Cancer Research, Ovarian Cancer, Genetic Testing, Previvor, Survivor, HBOC, Prostate Cancer, Screening And Prevention, PALB2, PTEN, CHEK2, ATM, RAD50

December 12, 2017

Book: Understanding BRCA

Posted in: Books And Movies
Tags: BRCA, BRCA1, BRCA2, HBOC, Screening And Prevention

June 11, 2021

Why I’m Choosing to Keep My Breasts (For Now)

Posted in: XRAY , Previvor
Tags: Hereditary Cancer, BRCA1, Screening And Prevention

June 17, 2018

Solving for Y: Reaching Men About Genetic Testing for Hereditary Breast, Ovarian, Pancreatic, Prostate And Related Cancers (HBOC)

Posted in: Men With Mutations , Genetic Testing
Tags: BRCA, Hereditary Cancer, Breast Cancer, Cancer Prevention, Genetic Counseling, Genetic Testing, BRCA1, BRCA2, Previvor, HBOC, Prostate Cancer, USPSTF, Screening And Prevention, PALB2, PTEN, Pancreatic Cancer, Male Breast Cancer, CHEK2, ATM

November 28, 2018

You Don’t Need a Family History of Cancer to Benefit from Genetic Testing

Posted in: Men With Mutations , Genetic Testing , Guidelines
Tags: Hereditary Cancer, Breast Cancer, Ovarian Cancer, Genetic Counseling, Genetic Testing, BRCA1, BRCA2, Prostate Cancer, Screening And Prevention, Pancreatic Cancer

January 08, 2019

Probably Someday Cancer: Genetic Risk and Preventative Mastectomy

Posted in: Books And Movies
Tags: Hereditary Cancer, BRCA2, Screening And Prevention, Reconstruction Or Going Flat

January 10, 2019

Book: The Big Discovery

Posted in: Books And Movies
Tags: Genetic Testing, BRCA1, BRCA2, Previvor, Screening And Prevention

January 22, 2019

My BRCA2 Story: Mastectomy Without Reconstruction

Posted in: Breast Reconstruction And Going Flat
Tags: Genetic Counseling, Genetic Testing, BRCA2, Screening And Prevention, Reconstruction Or Going Flat, Mastectomy, No Reconstruction, Going Flat

February 20, 2019

Celebrating Twenty Years of Support

Posted in: FORCE And FORCE Impact
Tags: BRCA, Hereditary Cancer, BRCA1, BRCA2, Previvor, Screening And Prevention

February 22, 2019

FORCE and Other Groups Meet with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)

Posted in: Laws, Protections And Public Policy
Tags: BRCA, Hereditary Cancer, Hereditary Cancer Research, Screening And Prevention, PALB2, ATM

March 08, 2019

A Deep Dive into Disparities: The Challenges and Opportunities of Reaching Out to the Underserved

Posted in: XRAY , Health Equity And Disparities
Tags: Hereditary Cancer, Genetic Testing, Screening And Prevention, Diversity, Minority, Health Disparities, Health Equity

April 11, 2019

Devin Sidell’s Lady Parts The Film

Posted in: Books And Movies
Tags: BRCA, Previvor, Screening And Prevention

October 12, 2021

Study Seeks to Prevent Cancer and Extend Quality of Life for Women at Increased Genetic Risk of Ovarian Cancer

Posted in: Research , Risk Management
Tags: Ovarian Cancer, BRCA1, Previvor, Prophylactic Surgery, Screening And Prevention