Accentuate the Positive: Eva Moon at the Joining FORCEs Conference

More than 700 individuals facing hereditary breast and ovarian cancer gathered at the Philadelphia Marriott for the 2014 Joining FORCEs Conference held by Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered in partnership with Penn Medicine’s Basser Research Center for BRCA.

As the Philadelphia Inquirer reports, performer Eva Moon spoke at the 2014 joining FORCEs Conference last month, integrating humor with the otherwise serious topic of hereditary cancer.

Hereditary breast and ovarian cancer is often caused by mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, which increase risk for breast, ovarian and other cancers.

Moon, who carries a BRCA1 mutation, uses humor as a method to cope with tough times. She performs a one-woman musical about her journey with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer.

At the conference, Moon shared her personal story, tips for finding humor in daily life, and engaged the audience with a number of songs and activities.

"I cried rivers of tears," she said. But she fought back and underwent a series of major preventative surgeries. Post-recovery, Moon harnesses humor for coping with hard times, and she is teaching others to do the same.

"Humor can relieve stress and speed healing," she said.

Read the Philadelphia Inquirer coverage of Eva Moon's session online.