"The substance of each chapter is impeccably accurate, and the authors honestly acknowledge the limits of our current understanding of this incredibly complex disorder...the tone of the book is an extraordinary combination of indisputably authoritative and insightful information, presented in a voice that is calm, clear, direct, balanced, realistic, and yet optimistic."

Excerpted from the Foreword by Mark H. Greene, M.D.
Chief, Clinical Genetics Branch
National Cancer Institute

"Most cancers are not hereditary, but if you or your relatives have been diagnosed, you might wonder how you can learn if the cancers are random or due to some inherited predisposition. Should you be tested to determine whether you've inherited changes in the BReast CAncer 1 or BReast CAncer 2 (BRCA1 and BRCA2) genes you've heard so much about? Are other risk factors at play? If a test shows that you have a greater-than-average cancer risk, what should you do to remain cancer free? If you've already been diagnosed, how would knowledge of an inherited risk affect your treatment decisions and post-treatment life?

Sorting through scientific terms, understanding risk management, and dealing with the emotions of it all can be overwhelming. Still, you deserve a "normal" life that isn't disrupted by cancer fears. If you've inherited high risk or been diagnosed with hereditary cancer, you face difficult decisions about what is best for you now and in the long term, and you need credible information to make those decisions.

"You're not the first person to have these concerns or ask these questions. As cancer survivors and women who have pursued genetic counseling and testing, we've asked these same questions. And as professionals who deal with these medical issues daily, we help people who struggle with the same concerns. We know that confronting hereditary cancer can be a complex, confusing and highly individual journey. We also know that you can take actions to gain control of your health."

-Excerpted from the Introduction