With Angelina Jolie’s big announcement and all the media attention surrounding BRCA and preventative mastectomy, maybe you’re wondering if you or someone you love is a previvor (a person who hasn’t had cancer but has a high risk for developing it.) The truth is, most people don’t know that they are. For instance, though about 1/500 men and women have a BRCA mutation, less than 10% of people know that they do. (Note: The rate among certain populations is much higher—for instance, 1/40 Ashkenazi Jews have a BRCA mutation.)

Here’s how you can determine if you’re a previvor:

1. Know your family history. In most cases, a previvor’s risk starts with family history. So it’s crucial that you learn your family history on both sides of your family. Your father’s side of the family counts as much as your mother’s side. Going back as far as you can, find out about any family members who battled cancer and the ages they were diagnosed.

2. Watch for red flags. Are there more than two cases of cancer on the same side of the family? Is there any ovarian cancer or male breast cancer in your family? Have any relatives been diagnosed in their 40s or younger? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you might have a hereditary risk for breast cancer.

3. Learn your other risk factors. For instance, have you had any abnormal breast biopsy results? Do you have dense breasts, which is something your doctor can help you determine? Or have you taken hormone replacement therapy? These factors can all increase your risk for breast cancer.

4. Keep an open dialogue with your doctor. If you think you might be at risk, tell your doctor about your family history and other risk factors, and discuss what steps you should take. You should also consider seeing a genetics counselor, who can really help you understand your risk, discuss whether or not you should undergo genetic testing, and highlight the pros and cons of all of your options based on your results. The National Society of Genetic Counselors can help you find an expert in your area.

5. Remember, you’re not alone. Check out organizations such as FORCE and Bright Pink. They’ll both provide you with the latest research on hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. And they have message boards and other networking opportunities where you can speak with women who completely understand what you’re going through.

In my book, Previvors, I include a chapter entitled “A Promising Future.” And under the section about breast cancer screening, I talk about different promising techniques on the horizon. Well, one of the ones I mentioned already came to fruition: The Food and Drug Administration just approved the first three-dimensional mammography system to screen for breast cancer. (It was developed by Hologic.)

So what are 3-D mammograms? Here’s the explanation from my book:

We’ve made such great strides when it comes to breast cancer:  We have better treatments with fewer side effects. We have much-needed funding and dozens upon dozens of organizations dedicated to helping find a cure. And, of course, we have awareness: The entire month of October is bathed in pink; support groups abound; thousands walk in solidarity with signs on their backs proudly exclaiming, “I’m a Survivor!” or “I’m a Previvor!”

But what about those women who are neither?  While we try  to focus on the positive when it comes to breast cancer, the truth is that far too many women do succumb to the disease. In fact, 40,000 people die from the illness each year. So what do we call women who are facing metastatic disease? They are neither survivors nor previvors. And, according to a report in The New York Times by Roni Caryn Rabin, they sometimes feel “invisible” within the advocacy community.

I just had to write about something I’ve been noticing lately. With Breast Cancer Awareness Month in full-swing, I’ve been attending luncheon after luncheon, seminar after seminar, speaking about my book Previvors. And the feedback has been tremendous: So many women have told me that, because of their family histories or other risk factors, they know they have to confront their risk. They agree with the book’s message that they have to take charge of their health. They have to turn their fear of breast cancer into empowerment.

However, I’ve also learned that many women are still so afraid of breast cancer (or so in the dark about it), that they are actually doing themselves more harm than good.

The whole point of writing the book Previvors, and the whole reason Lisa, Mayde, Amy, Rori, and Suzanne decided there should be a book in the first place, is to raise awareness. With the book coming out on October 5th (three more days!), it seems like the local and national media realize the importance of this topic as well.

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month, CNN will be covering cancer and genetics every Sunday in October at 4:40 EST. And this Sunday, on October 3rd, CNN News Anchor Fredricka Whitfield will featuring our book PREVIVORS!!!!. Our very own Suzanne Citere and Rori Clark will be on the air live.

Please be sure to set your DVRs!

To see the other examples of previvors in the news, check out: www.dinarothport.com/news-events/

*This post originally appeared on www.previvors.com.

With breast cancer awareness month right around the corner, you have probably been hearing a lot about what’s known collectively as the “breast cancer gene,” also known as BRCA1 and BRCA2. Here are some of the key things you need to know:

1. All men and women are born with two genes called BRCA1 and BRCA2. We receive two copies of each—one from our mothers and one from our fathers.

2. BRCA genes are tumor suppressor genes—their role is control the growth of cells in the breasts and ovaries. If either copy of either gene isn’t working properly—which is the case in about 1/500 people—that person has an increased risk of certain cancers.

We’ve known for some time that prophylactic mastectomies and oophorectomies (the removal of healthy breast tissue and healthy ovaries) can drastically reduce a woman’s risk of breast and ovarian cancer. However, a brand new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association reports that women with BRCA mutations are also more likely to live longer if they have their ovaries removed than women with BRCA mutations who don’t. The study also confirmed that prophylactic mastectomies drastically lower breast cancer risk.

What is a previvor? A previvor is a person who has not had cancer but has a predisposition to develop it. In other words, a previvor is a person who has not had cancer but has higher than average odds of getting it because of certain risk factors. Previvors face difficult decisions regarding how to fight their risk, if at all. These men and women often take proactive steps and turn their fear into empowerment.

I’m looking forward to an exciting year, with my first book, Previvors, coming out in the fall.  It’s the first of its kind guidebook for women with a high risk for breast cancer.  I interviewed more than seventy leading experts in the fields of genetics, oncology, psychology, and surgery, and intertwined their information with the empowering stories of five brave women who took control of their breast cancer destiny.

For now, if you’re seeking information about what to do if you have an elevated risk of breast cancer, please take a look at my resource link page.