In the 1950s, my maternal grandmother died of breast cancer when my mom was 16. Knowing this disease was in my lineage made me hyper aware of screening and prevention options, as I always had a sense that it wasn’t “if,” but rather “when” I would be diagnosed myself.

Genetics—it’s a field I had not thought much about prior to my breast cancer diagnosis. I learned the basics in biology class, but that was the extent of it. In hindsight, I wish I had been more curious about my genetic makeup; about the intricate complexity of my DNA. A malignancy alters everything.

I’m Stacey Moore and I was diagnosed with breast cancer at 29, while I was three months pregnant with my second child. Since I was in my second trimester, I immediately started chemotherapy because the medicine would not cross the placenta. At first, I was scared for my baby and my family. Bringing a life into the world should be a joyful time, but instead I felt fear and anger. However, I found I had a huge amount of support surrounding me.

Chemotherapy can save years of life, but for some breast cancer survivors, the prospect of losing hair during the treatment can lead to mixed emotions. Hair is a big part of what makes many women feel beautiful, an important part of our feminine identity, so it’s only natural to feel sad when it’s gone. Even so, survivors who feel that they should do everything they can to stay healthy for their families and loved ones may feel guilty for mourning the loss of their hair. Breast cancer survivor Allison Prendergast faced this conundrum as she began her treatment.

"Hi sweetie, I have something very important to tell you." Although I was only 8 years old, I could tell that my mother’s kind tone was only a gentle precursor for what she was about to say. She gazed at me with a sincere face and tears in her eyes as she explained to me that she had been diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. She said that our lives would be quite different for a while. My mother, at the time, was 38 years old.

While the incidence of breast cancer increases with age, there are still many womendiagnosed in their prime reproductive years with 11% of women being 45 years of age or younger. One out of three of these women will have early stage cancer that can be successfully treated (70% survival at 10 years from diagnosis). Many of these women will not have started or completed their families, reflecting the growing tendency of women to delay childbearing until after age 30. Since the 1990s, the number of first time mothers older than age 30 has increased to over 21%.