In 2013, Angelina Jolie learned she had a โfaultyโ gene that gave her an 87 percent risk of developing breast cancer and decided to take action. She underwent a preventive double mastectomy and bravely shared it with the world. Now, the actress opens up about the surgery and her health.
Angelina Jolie has been at the forefront of efforts to raise money for cancer research. Her mother, Marcheline, died in 2007 after receiving a breast cancer diagnosis years earlier, and since then, she has done her bit in raising awareness and money for research.
Meanwhile, she also lowered the risk of getting it herself as the Tomb Raider star underwent a preventative mastectomy in 2013.
She decided to share it with the world, which sparked somewhat of an โAngelina Effect.โ For example, experts in the field also acknowledged how the publicโs awareness had increased significantly.
UK charity Prevent Breast Cancer stated in 2014 that the Maleficent starโs preventative mastectomy had a โmassive impact on the numbers of women in the UK being referred for preventative treatment.โ
Angelina Jolieโs preventative mastectomy
Writing in an op-ed in The New York Times, Jolie explained that, after learning she had a โfaultyโ gene called BRCA1 that gave her an 87 percent risk of developing breast cancer, the actress made the decision to do something about it.
โI am writing about it now because I hope that other women can benefit from my experience,โ Jolie wrote. โCancer is still a word that strikes fear into peopleโs hearts, producing a deep sense of powerlessness. But today it is possible to find out through a blood test whether you are highly susceptible to breast and ovarian cancer, and then take action,โ
The actress added that she โwanted to write this to tell other women that the decision to have a mastectomy was not easy.โ The risk of her developing breast cancer dropped to under 5 percent.
โFor any woman reading this, I hope it helps you to know you have options. I want to encourage every woman, especially if you have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer, to seek out the information and medical experts who can help you through this aspect of your life, and to make your own informed choices,โ she continued.
Jolie shares new details of her health battle
Angelina Jolie has made a huge difference by being open about her double mastectomy. In an interview with Hello! at the San Sebastian Film Festival, where her latest film, Couture, held its European premiere, Jolie reflected on her surgery and provided a health update.
โI did choose to have that [surgery] because I lost my mother and my grandmother very young,โ Angelina Jolie said, revealing that she had her ovaries removed.
โI have the BRCA gene, so I chose to have a double mastectomy a decade ago. And then Iโve also had my ovaries removed, because thatโs what took my mother. Those are my choices. I donโt say everybody should do it that way, but itโs important to have the choice. And I donโt regret it.โ
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