With the release of Previvors just weeks away, a lot of people have been asking me, “So Dina, where did you come up with the idea for this book?” My answer: I didn’t. Three years ago, I was approached by five women living in my community. Knowing that I was a health writer for national magazines, they asked me to write a book for them. They said that they were previvors and that they had all taken steps to lower their risk for breast cancer (and, in one of their cases, ovarian cancer). However, while they had each other to lean on and an organization called FORCE while they dealt with their risk, they didn’t have that one quintessential guidebook that could have helped them through the myriad of emotional and physical issues they faced. That’s why they decided they needed to share their stories with other previvors by creating a book. They needed a professional writer to help them do that, and luckily they decided that person was me.  

In the October issue of Glamour, please check out my article on page 182 entitled “Your Breasts Are Not a Ticking Time Bomb.”  The goal of the article is to tell your average young women that when it comes to their fears about breast cancer, the facts are reassuring. For instance, while it might seem that breast cancer is striking an increasing number of women at younger ages these days, the truth is that the rate of diagnosis among this demographic has remained the same for 25 years. And the piece goes on to dish out the facts regarding three other major breast cancer “myths.”

But I know that previvors view breast cancer much differently than your average young woman. I know that many do view their breasts as ticking time bombs (actually, it’s even the title of one of the chapters in Previvors).

My 6-year-old daughter is excited about the upcoming release of Previvors. I’ve been working on the book since she was 3, and she seems to understand what a big deal it is for me. What’s amazing to me is her take on breast cancer. To her, it’s the subject matter of my book. She doesn’t understand what a terrible disease it is. She doesn’t view it as something horrific, something that millions of women fear.

My daughter has always been curious about my work, and because of her sweet little 6-year-old mind, she thinks whatever I write about must be something positive. So when she sees a pink ribbon, she squeals, “Look Mommy, it’s breast cancer!” And then there was that time when she saw my name on promotional flyer for the book, and she shouted, “That’s my Mommy. The breast cancer girl!”

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.

With the upcoming release of my book, Previvors, I know that I, let alone the women featured in the book, will likely receive some criticism (something all book authors have to brace themselves for, I guess.) And I know that while most people will applaud previvors for taking steps to defy their fate, others will wholeheartedly attack them. Women who choose to have prophylactic mastectomies for instance, often hear that their decision is “radical” and that they are “mutilating their bodies” or suffering severe cases of hypochondria. One person on a message board said that removing healthy breasts is “a slap in the face to women who actually have breast cancer.”

While researching and writing Previvors these past few years, I’ve come across quite a few other books that truly complement my own. For instance, Jessica Queller’s Pretty is What Changes is a thoughtful, insightful account of one woman’s experience with hereditary breast cancer. I couldn’t put it down.

More recently, I came across Amy Boesky’s What We Have which also gives a first-person account of her family’s long history with cancer. Boesky, a literary professor at Boston College, tells her story with eloquence and grace. The book is poignant and powerful, humorous at times and heart-breaking at others. I encourage previvors everywhere (let alone anyone looking for a excellent read) to pick up a copy.

While working on my book, I was fortunate to meet many inspirational previvors, medical experts, and breast cancer activists. Brilliant, dedicated men and women who spend their time trying to figure out ways to fight cancer before it strikes. One of the people who stands out is a young woman named Lindsay Avner. Only in her 20s, Lindsay has helped educate countless women who are at high risk for breast or ovarian cancer through her national non-profit organization, Bright Pink.

Yesterday, the five previvors featured in my book and I spoke at the Power of Pink event in Boca Raton. More than 400 women (and a few men) attended and, thanks to the organization’s co-chairs Joy  and Kim, the day was a great success. 

As I sat up on stage listening to the five women tell their stories…stories which I have been listening to and writing about for more than two years…I was struck by how moved I was. I realized that I could hear their stories hundreds of times, and I’ll never stop welling up when they talk about their mothers’ battles with cancer. I’ll never stop being amazed by these five women’s bravery. I’ll never stop being inspired by their passion to help other women living with a high risk for breast and/or ovarian cancer. And I will always be thankful that Lisa, Mayde, Amy, Rori, and Suzanne gave me the tremendous honor of writing about their personal experiences in our book Previvors. I am very grateful that these five women are in my life.