Shoshana Ungerleider is many things: an internal medicine physician, a science journalist, a San Francisco resident, a host and producer of TED Health, and founder of End Well, a nonprofit organization dedicated to reshaping society’s perception and approach to the end of life. These credentials arguably make Ungerleider as much of an expert on death and dying as one could be. But when her father, Steven Ungerleider, was diagnosed with terminal cancer in the summer of 2022, nothing could have prepared her for the devastating effect that cancer can have on families.
In the case of Ungerleider’s father, testing showed that his cancer was linked to a BRCA genetic mutation, making it a prime treatment candidate for newly discovered therapies. While this was incredible news for her father’s well-being, it also meant that she and her sister were both at risk of inheriting the same genetic mutation and developing cancer. As an experienced physician, Ungerleider knew that her best chance at early detection and cancer prevention was to gain a better understanding of her genetic risk through cancer genetic testing.
“Cancer genetic testing may have saved my life,” says Ungerleider. “I tested positive for the same BRCA mutation as my father. Thanks to this knowledge, I was able to take the steps I needed to protect my health and my future.”…