Cancer Previvors: Proactive Warriors in Cancer Prevention

Cancer is a word that strikes fear in many hearts. But what if you could take action before it strikes? What if you could choose to act before it arrives? This is the previvor’s radical advantage. In this blog, we’ll explore the world of previvors, their significance in cancer prevention, and how we can support this courageous community.

What Are Cancer Previvors?

A cancer previvor is someone who has never been diagnosed with cancer but has a higher-than-average risk of developing it, typically due to genetic factors. The term “previvor” combines “predisposition” and “survivor,” and was originally coined by the nonprofit organization Facing Hereditary Cancer Empowered (FORCE).

Previvors generally fall into two categories:

• Those who have tested positive for inherited genetic mutations such as BRCA1, BRCA2, PALB2, and others

• Those with a strong family history of cancer but who have tested negative for known inherited genetic mutations

The Significance of Previvors in Cancer Prevention

The previvor movement represents a paradigm shift in how we approach cancer, moving from reaction to prevention. Here’s why their experiences and awareness matter:

1. Early Intervention Saves Lives

By identifying high-risk individuals before cancer develops, medical professionals can implement advanced screening protocols or preventive measures that dramatically reduce cancer mortality rates. Organizations like the Genetic Support Foundation play a vital role in this process by offering expert genetic counseling to help individuals and families understand inherited cancer risks. Their specialists guide patients through testing options, interpret results, and create personalized prevention and screening plans that support informed, proactive health decisions.

2. Advancing Medical Knowledge

The previvor community has driven significant medical research into cancer genetics, prevention strategies, and the psychological impacts of living with cancer risk, benefiting both previvors and the broader cancer community.

3. Changing the Cancer Narrative

Previvors challenge the traditional cancer journey—diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship—by introducing a powerful fourth dimension: prevention through knowledge and proactive care. Advocates like Sara Kavanaugh, host of The Positive Gene Podcast, embody this shift by merging science with empathy to guide others through hereditary cancer risk. As a previvor herself living with Lynch Syndrome and CHEK2 mutations, she uses her podcast to transform fear into empowerment, amplifying stories of strength and redefining the narrative around what it means to face genetic risk with hope, awareness, and purpose. 

4. Supporting Informed Choices

The previvor movement emphasizes patient autonomy and informed decision-making, encouraging individuals to take an active role in their health management based on their unique circumstances and values.

Three Actions That Matter Now

1. Make Knowing an Act of Defiance

Knowledge isn’t neutral. In a world that often prefers comfortable ignorance, choosing to know your genetic risk is radical. Have the conversation about family health history this week, not someday. Challenge the silence that often surrounds hereditary cancer. Understanding who carries inherited cancer risks is the first step toward empowerment, allowing individuals and families to take informed, preventive action.

2. Choose Your Circle Wisely

Change happens at the edges, led by people who refuse to accept the status quo. Find these people. Connect with organizations like FORCE that provide accurate, up-to-date medical information about genetic testing and hereditary cancer and support a community of people with a high risk for cancer. Join their circle of previvors who understand that fear acknowledged becomes fear transformed.

3. Reframe Risk as Opportunity

The greatest risk isn’t knowing your genetic status; it’s missing the chance to act on that knowledge. If you learn you have heightened cancer risk, remember that “you are not alone” and that genetic counselors can help you navigate the medical management process and family implications. Your risk is an invitation to rewrite your health story.

The previvor stands at the intersection of fear and possibility, of genetics and choice. They remind us that destiny is not determined solely by our DNA but by what we choose to do with the knowledge of it.

Maya Angelou taught us that “we may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated.” Previvors embody this wisdom. They face their genetic reality not with resignation but with resolve. They don’t just survive their predisposition; they transform it into purpose. And in doing so, they teach all of us what it means to truly live - not despite uncertainty, but because of what that uncertainty reveals about our capacity for courage.

Whether you’re a previvor yourself, know someone who might be at risk, or simply want to support this community, awareness and action are key. The previvor journey may be challenging, but it’s also empowering, a testament to human resilience in the face of uncertainty.