In this episode of BRCA & Beyond, Marisa sits down with Gila Pfeffer, award-winning author, humorist, breast cancer prevention advocate, BRCA1 carrier, eighteen-year breast cancer previvor and survivor, and mom of four.
Long before BRCA genetic testing and preventive mastectomy were widely discussed, Gila was paying close attention to her breast health. After learning she carried a BRCA1 mutation, she ultimately moved forward with a risk reducing double mastectomy. Six days after surgery, she received unexpected news: pathology had found an early but aggressive breast cancer.
Suddenly, prevention and survivorship became part of the same story.
Gila and Marisa talk about what it means to live with hereditary cancer risk, make major medical decisions with the information available to you, and have your understanding of your own experience change overnight. They discuss the complicated space between being a previvor and survivor, how BRCA awareness and genetic testing have evolved, and why knowing your risk can give you the opportunity to make informed decisions about your health.
They also talk about something central to Gila's life and work: humor. For Gila, humor doesn't minimize cancer, surgery, loss, or inherited risk. It creates a way into conversations that can otherwise feel overwhelming.
• Gila's experience with BRCA1 and hereditary cancer risk
• How BRCA genetic testing and awareness have changed
• Risk-reducing mastectomy and becoming a breast cancer survivor
• The intersection of prevention and survivorship
• Breast health, screening, and self-advocacy
• Making informed decisions about hereditary cancer risk
• Using humor to make difficult health conversations more approachable
• Gila's breast cancer prevention advocacy and “Feel It on the First” campaign
• Her memoir, Nearly Departed: Adventures in Loss, Cancer, and Other Inconveniences
Gila Pfeffer is an award-winning author, humorist, breast cancer prevention advocate, and mom of four. Her memoir, Nearly Departed: Adventures in Loss, Cancer, and Other Inconveniences, brings her signature humor to cancer, prevention, survivorship, and life's unexpected turns.
Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker, Today.com, Oprah Daily, AARP, McSweeney's, and more. She speaks about women's health, prevention, empowerment, and humor and is the creator of “Feel It on the First,” a monthly campaign using tongue-in-cheek reminders to encourage women to prioritize breast health. She also writes the Feelin' It newsletter about women's health, middle age, and life through a humorous lens.
Nearly Departed: Adventures in Loss, Cancer, and Other Inconveniences is available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, and other major booksellers.
Website: https://www.gilapfeffer.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gilapfeffer/
Feel It on the First:
https://www.gilapfeffer.com/feel-it-on-the-first
Feelin' It Newsletter:
https://gilapfeffer.substack.com/
Sharsheret provides support and resources for women and families facing breast and ovarian cancer, including those navigating hereditary cancer risk.
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