ABSTRACT
Individuals who test positive for a genetic variant that significantly increases their lifetime risk of developing hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) are unique because they must make important health decisions based on information that is yet to come. To cope, “previvors” actively a) participate in healthcare interactions, b) volunteer for cancer-related, non-profit organizations, c) share their personal experiences, and d) engage in clinical research to advance care. Blending interview data with the experiences of previvors and the personal experiences of the author, this chapter examines previvors’ self-advocacy efforts in order to cope with HBOC risk.
