Research shows that patienthood often generates community bonds among people with the same condition - a sort of sharing something that is not easily understood by or communicated to others.  Not only personal but also collective identities are then negotiated and renegotiated through illness: in sharing personal experiences, individuals co‒construct the meaning of their illness, for instance, they co‒define symptoms and collectively assess treatment options. The "illness communities" emerging from these encounters help individuals make sense of their experiences through binding, with new subjectivities emerging around illness and its management. 

In line with research on illness identities, processes linked to genetic risk management and responsibility have been investigated as embedded in new forms of subjectivity and selfhood. The knowledge and techniques used to investigate hereditary health conditions has forged a new set of identifying characteristics linked to genetic risk and responsibility. These involve the renegotiation of one’s social relationships to accommodate risk-derived uncertainty in everyday life and are central to the emergence of new individualities. In other words, the awareness of carrying a genetic mutation affects how we construct and perform our identity.

Research shows that social media are an important resource for constructing 'digital selves' in contemporary societies. However, little is known about how they may influence understandings, experience and management of cancer risk - all aspects central to previvors' identities.