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.

"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.

Women should know only 5-10% of breast cancers are considered “familial” or resulting from inherited genes. Yet they should also know having a family history of breast cancer is one of the strongest predictors of breast cancer.

I remember very vividly when my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. My mother was in her fifties and me and my siblings were all grown, starting our careers and family. I remember all those emotions; wanting to do something to make it better, but not knowing what to do. And my father seemed nearly paralyzed with fear and a sense of helplessness.