Suzanne Capodanno of Hanover, MA is many things: an executive assistant, a daughter, a sister, a mother, and a breast cancer survivor. Today, she is also an advocate for preventive health care screenings and learning more about your genetic health history.

“I have two sons, and because they had to watch me go through what I did, they visit their doctors regularly. I talk to them about how I’m living proof that prevention is everything,” she says.

When Suzanne was 50 years old, she was diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) in her left breast. While she says the initial news was a gut punch – “when you hear you have cancer, your world suddenly stops,” – Suzanne was in the best possible position to overcome her cancer diagnosis. She caught her cancer at Stage 0, thanks to the twice-annual mammograms she started getting at age 30 after learning about her family’s health history and genetic predisposition to cancer.

The importance of family health history

Family health history is considered one of the biggest indicators for major health issues such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. It’s also one of your best assets when it comes to protecting your health. “Family health history is one of the best screening tools out there and it’s readily available,” says Dawn Cardeiro, director of precision medicine at Point32Health.

This should include more than just parents and grandparents. Knowing the health history of siblings, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins can help health care professionals identify any potential patterns and risks for developing certain conditions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) even has a series of resources available to help people collect and learn about their family health history. It’s so important that the U.S. Surgeon General made Thanksgiving National Family Health History Day to encourage families gathering for the holidays to learn and document their collective health histories.

And while a family history of disease does not mean you will absolutely develop the same or a similar illness — there are other influences such as lifestyle choices, environmental factors, and more — it does mean that you need to be proactive about your health and start an open dialogue with your doctor to develop a more complete picture of your health and your risk factors for disease. 

Suzanne and her sister started getting annual mammograms at the age of 30 due to a family history and genetic predisposition to breast cancer. Her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, and after some research, it was discovered that three other close blood relatives had also developed breast cancer. 

In fact, it was because of these preventive screenings that Suzanne caught her cancer so early. An area of concern was noticed by doctors at her first mammogram, so she started going for more frequent imaging. When doctors noticed the area had changed it was ultimately determined she had cancer. “But because of all the preventive measures I had taken, my cancer was found at its earliest stage,” she says. “I was so incredibly lucky.”

Protecting health futures with genetic testing and personalized medicine

After visiting the Dana Farber Cancer Institute Cancer Genetics and Prevention Clinic, Suzanne discovered she carries a gene mutation that indicates a higher risk for breast cancer. And while she had to rely on an oral history of her family’s history to proactively protect her health, today’s genetic testing and advanced screening capabilities are empowering people to be even more proactive with preventive care.

“Family history can help determine whether certain types of screening or diagnostic testing is appropriate that perhaps otherwise wouldn’t be indicated, like a colonoscopy or breast MRI,”  Cardeiro says. “It might also make you eligible for genetic testing designed to either screen or diagnose a hereditary predisposition syndrome that may be found in cancer or other disease.”

One such test, the multi-cancer early detection Galleri® test by GRAIL, can detect a cancer signal across more than 50 types of cancer from a simple blood draw, even before a patient has exhibited any symptoms. Screenings like this, and ultimately early detection, can make all the difference. The benefit of early detection is one of the reasons why Point32Health companies Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and Tufts Health Plan have partnered with GRAIL to make this test available to some of their members, with the goal to have full access to all members over time.

While Suzanne was going through her treatments, her younger sister was also diagnosed with breast cancer. “But because she was receiving yearly mammograms from an early age, her breast cancer was found at its earliest stage, and she is now cancer free,” Suzanne says.  Today, Suzanne’s sons, both in their 20s, have begun getting annual preventive cancer screenings, and will get additional screenings as they get older.

“Because she was receiving yearly mammograms from an early age, her breast cancer was found at its earliest stage, and she is now cancer free.”
– Suzanne Capodanno

Moms, and dads, are their children’s first health advocates. While it starts with annual check-ups and visits to the pediatrician, the road to adulthood is lined with opportunities to have deeper conversations about their health and family history. Equipped with this information, they can grow into their own best advocates and play an active role in their own health and wellness. Talk to your children about their family health history, it could make all the difference.

Point32Health is a nonprofit health and well-being organization, guiding and empowering healthier lives for all. Throughout all of life’s stages, our family of companies inclusive of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and Tufts Health Plan support members and their families with whole-health benefits and solutions.