This week is National Hereditary Cancer Week, and today, September 30, is National Previvor Day. Both exist for the same reason: to recognize people living with an inherited risk of cancer, and to reach the many who don’t yet know they have one.
At Mayberry Memorial, that second group is the one we think about most. You can’t act on a risk you don’t know about, and for people with Lynch syndrome, not knowing is still the norm.
What is a previvor?
A previvor is someone who carries an inherited cancer risk but has not been diagnosed with cancer. Previvors aren’t patients waiting for bad news. They are people with information, and information can be acted on.
For someone with Lynch syndrome, that information changes what care looks like. Instead of waiting for symptoms, a previvor can work with their medical team on regular screening, such as colonoscopies that can find and remove polyps before they become cancer. That is prevention, not luck.
Hereditary cancer is bigger than one gene
National Hereditary Cancer Week began in 2010 as a week focused on hereditary breast and ovarian cancer, alongside Previvor Day. In 2020 it was broadened to include everyone affected by inherited cancer risk. That includes Lynch syndrome, which is caused by changes in the MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, PMS2, or EPCAM genes and raises the risk of colorectal, endometrial, ovarian, stomach, and urinary tract cancers, among others.
Lynch syndrome affects an estimated 1 in 279 people, and nearly 95 percent of them don’t know it. That gap between risk and awareness is what we work to close.
Who should be asking questions?
Many people with an inherited risk never find out because nobody connects the dots. It’s worth a conversation with your doctor, and possibly a genetic counselor, if your family has:
- Colorectal or endometrial cancer, especially diagnosed before age 50
- Several relatives with cancers linked to Lynch syndrome
- A relative who has already been diagnosed with Lynch syndrome or another hereditary cancer syndrome
You don’t need to be certain you’re at risk to ask. Wondering is reason enough.
The part that doesn’t get talked about
Living with an inherited risk can be heavy. Previvors make decisions about screening, surgery, and sharing results with relatives, often before anyone else understands what they’re facing. Previvor Day is a reminder that this is real, and that nobody should handle it alone.
It’s also a reminder of what previvors are doing: taking action, keeping appointments, and often becoming the reason their relatives get tested too. One person’s diagnosis can protect an entire family.
What you can do this week
- Ask your family. Find out who in your family has had cancer, what type, and at what age.
- Write it down. A simple family history is one of the most useful things you can bring to a doctor’s appointment.
- Ask about genetic counseling. A counselor can tell you whether testing makes sense and what the results would mean.
- Share this post. Someone in your circle may be the one who needs it.
How Mayberry Memorial can help
Through Project Conquer, Mayberry Memorial helps potential previvors access genetic testing and counseling, removing a barrier that stops too many people from taking the first step. To learn more or find out whether you qualify, visit mayberrymemorial.org/project-conquer.
Knowing your risk is where everything starts. This Hereditary Cancer Week, give yourself and your family the chance to find out.