What is a Previvor?
The term previvor is a relatively new one, and sources so far haven’t determined a consistent spelling of the word. It may alternately be spelled pre-vivor, or an entirely different word that more closely matches its definition, presurvivor, may be used instead. Previvor tends to refer to those people who are predisposed to certain types of cancer. They glean this knowledge either through direct family history or by finding out they have genes that may be potential cancer indicators. The two largest groups that make up most previvors today are those women at high risk for ovarian cancer, or who have the breast cancer gene. The knowledge that you are much more likely to get cancer, particularly life threatening forms, can be a difficult thing to bear. This has led to the establishment of many previvor support groups, where people lend each other support and may discuss the variety of options available to previvors. For some, especially those women with significant family history of ovar
