Cancer
Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer
NACDD partners with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to make conversations about hereditary breast and ovarian cancer easier to navigate. Having open conversations about family history of cancer can help patients, their family members, and care providers understand risk for hereditary cancer and make a plan to manage it.
Quick Facts About Breast Cancer Diagnosis Under 45:
- More likely to be hereditary.
- More likely to be found at a later stage.
- Often more aggressive and challenging to treat.
- Many young women don't know their risk of breast cancer, or how to manage their risk.
Young Women Should Know their Risk of Breast and Ovarian Cancer
When breast cancer is diagnosed in a person younger than 45, the cancer is more likely to be hereditary. It’s also more likely to be found at a later stage and therefore more aggressive and challenging to treat.
One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during her life. Ten percent of breast and ovarian cancer diagnoses are found in women under 45. Many young women don’t know their risk of breast cancer, or how to manage their risk.
Young Women Should Know Their Risk Of Breast And Ovarian Cancer
When breast cancer is diagnosed in a person younger than 45, the cancer is more likely to be hereditary. It’s also more likely to be found at a later stage and therefore more aggressive and challenging to treat.
One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during her life. Ten percent of breast and ovarian cancer diagnoses are found in women under 45. Many young women don’t know their risk of breast cancer, or how to manage their risk.
Hereditary Breast And Ovarian Cancer
One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during her life. Ten percent of breast and ovarian cancer diagnoses are found in women under 45.
Bring Your Brave
CDC’s Bring Your Brave campaign offers digital resources to support conversations between patients, their families, and healthcare providers about hereditary breast and ovarian cancer, improve early detection, and reduce mortality. The campaign offers digital resources to support these conversations, improve early detection, and reduce mortality.
Bring Your Brave inspires young women to:
- Learn about their family history of breast and ovarian cancer.
- Understand risk factors for breast cancer before age 45.
- Maintain a healthy lifestyle and monitor their breast health.
- Consult with their healthcare providers if they are at higher risk for breast cancer.
Engaging Healthcare Providers and Public Health Professionals
NACDD’s award winning digital resources improve healthcare providers’ and public health professionals’ capacity to support family discussions about known or unknown cancer risk. Conversations about family history, health behaviors, prevention strategies, and young breast cancer survivors’ experiences can lead to earlier detection of cancer.
Our resources include a digital story-telling series, interview-based short films, factsheets, and interactive conversation simulations. When healthcare providers use innovative communication and information technology, they are contributing to a greater public health priority that seeks to improve evidence-based programs, policies, and services related to hereditary breast and ovarian cancer.
Let’s Talk About It
Family physicians play a crucial role in cancer prevention and early detection. They can assess patients’ family histories, discuss genetic testing, and share resources. However, only 41% of primary care physicians refer high-risk women for breast cancer genetic counseling and testing.
The Hereditary Cancer and Narrative Medicine Learning Collaborative used Bring Your Brave campaign materials to increase provider awareness of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. Participants reported that Bring Your Brave resources can have a positive impact on patient outcomes.
- 100% agreed the resources can increase provider knowledge about hereditary breast cancer.
- 100% agreed the resources can improve patient understanding of hereditary breast cancer risks and help them feel less alone.
- 95% agreed the resources increase empathy and improve patient-provider communication.