National HBOC Week

National HBOC week starts today.  As I mentioned in my Ms. Magazine blog post about HBOC week,  most people don't yet know about Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer week even though Congress created this recognition more than two years ago.

Friends, please read and share this blog post by FORCE founder Sue Friedman and help us get the word out about Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer.  The shame is not that people do not know about HBOC week, the real shame is when women are diagnosed with hereditary breast or ovarian cancer without ever knowing they were at risk for these diseases in the first place.  17 years of science has proven these diseases are preventable but that knowledge is the key to being able to take action.  Personally, I am grateful for the knowledge of my BRCA mutation that allowed me to pursue preventive surgery at the right time of my life to be able to prevent the breast cancer that attacked my mother when she was far younger than I am now.  What a blessing to be healthy and focused on my children rather than fighting for my life.

As Sue Friedman so eloquently says:

As today marks the start of the third National HBOC Awareness Week and next Wednesday is Previvor Day, our goal is to attract more attention than ever. Let’s focus on the positive, and use this opportunity to save lives through education. We know that risk assessment and intervention can improve survival for high-risk individuals. But people cannot take action if they are unaware of their risk. It is up to us to raise the profile of HBOC until every person has access to the tools, information, and health care experts to assess their risk, and every high-risk person has the eduation, support, and resources they need to make informed decisions about their risk.

To celebrate National HBOC week this year I will be running in the Kickin' Cancer 5K to raise money for Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer research.  Please support research to help find better ovarian cancer early detection and better prevention options for women at risk of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer.  

Please support my run or join my team!

Be well and be well informed!

Happy HBOC Week!

Joi

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