Mrs. Amy Hefner

Amy HefnerMarketing Category Manager

After her mother died at age 48 from breast cancer, Amy Hefner of Wenatchee, Wash., had a genetic test that showed that she, too, faced a very high risk of developing breast or ovarian cancer.

"Knowing that something might happen but not yet and having to deal with that, it creates a different kind of fear," said Mrs. Hefner, 27, a marketing manager at a shopping mall. "We call ourselves pre-vivors" as opposed to survivors, she said. "We don't have cancer, but we're not normal either."

Mrs. Hefner, still healthy, is regularly tested for breast and ovarian cancer. She also plans to have her ovaries removed to reduce her risk. In turn, that will bring on premature menopause and the inability to have more children. Mrs. Hefner said she was happy with the one she had. "I feel comfortable knowing I'm doing something to make sure I don't end up where my mom did," she said.

At least Mrs. Hefner can do something, however unpleasant, to try to stave off disease.

After her mother died at age 48 from breast cancer, Amy Hefner of Wenatchee, Wash., had a genetic test that showed that she, too, faced a very high risk of developing breast or ovarian cancer."Knowing that something might happen but not yet and having to deal with that, it creates a different kind of fear," said Mrs. Hefner, 27, a marketing manager at a shopping mall."We call ourselves pre-vivors" as opposed to survivors, she said."We don't have cancer, but we're not normal either."

Mrs. Hefner, still healthy, is regularly tested for breast and ovarian cancer.She also plans to have her ovaries removed to reduce her risk.In turn, that will bring on premature menopause and the inability to have more children.Mrs. Hefner said she was happy with the one she had."I feel comfortable knowing I'm doing something to make sure I don't end up where my mom did," she said.

At least Mrs. Hefner can do something, however unpleasant, to try to stave off disease.

After her mother died at age 48 from breast cancer, Amy Hefner of Wenatchee, Wash., had a genetic test that showed that she, too, faced a very high risk of developing breast or ovarian cancer.

"Knowing that something might happen but not yet and having to deal with that, it creates a different kind of fear," said Mrs. Hefner, 27, a marketing manager at a shopping mall."We call ourselves pre-vivors" as opposed to survivors, she said."We don't have cancer, but we're not normal either."

Mrs. Hefner, still healthy, is regularly tested for breast and ovarian cancer.She also plans to have her ovaries removed to reduce her risk.In turn, that will bring on premature menopause and the inability to have more children.Mrs. Hefner said she was happy with the one she had."I feel comfortable knowing I'm doing something to make sure I don't end up where my mom did," she said.

At least Mrs. Hefner can do something, however unpleasant, to try to stave off disease.

Amy Hefner

Amy HefnerCirix Computer Systems

Amy HefnerColumbia Marketing International