Actress Angelina Jolie underwent a preventive double mastectomy in February 2013, citing her high genetic risks of contracting breast and ovarian cancers. As a result of her surgery, Jolie's breast-cancer risk has now plummeted from 87 percent to under five percent.
"My doctors estimated that I had an 87 percent risk of breast cancer and a 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer," Jolie wrote in a May 14 New York Times op-ed piece.
"Once I knew that this was my reality, I decided to be proactive and to minimize the risk as much I could. I made a decision to have a preventive double mastectomy. I started with the breasts, as my risk of breast cancer is higher than my risk of ovarian cancer, and the surgery is more complex."
Angelina's mother, actress Marcheline Bertrand, died of ovarian cancer in 2007 at age 56. Jolie, 37, said her mom's prolonged cancer battle and premature death motivated her to take preventive action.
"My mother fought cancer for almost a decade and died at 56," Angelina wrote. "She held out long enough to meet the first of her grandchildren and to hold them in her arms. But my other children will never have the chance to know her and experience how loving and gracious she was.
"We often speak of Mommys mommy, and I find myself trying to explain the illness that took her away from us. They have asked if the same could happen to me. I have always told them not to worry, but the truth is I carry a faulty gene, BRCA1, which sharply increases my risk of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer. Only a fraction of breast cancers result from an inherited gene mutation. Those with a defect in BRCA1 have a 65 percent risk of getting it, on average."
Angelina, the mother of six young children, quietly completed her medical treatments last month but decided to go public with her mastectomy to inspire other women to be proactive about cancer prevention.
"On April 27, I finished the three months of medical procedures that the mastectomies involved," Jolie wrote. "During that time I have been able to keep this private and to carry on with my work.
"But I am writing about it now because I hope that other women can benefit from my experience. Cancer is still a word that strikes fear into peoples 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."
Angelina, a worldwide sex symbol, got surgery to remove both her breasts and underwent reconstructive breast-implant surgery.
"I had the major surgery [in mid-February], where the breast tissue is removed and temporary fillers are put in place," she wrote. "The operation can take eight hours. You wake up with drain tubes and expanders in your breasts. It does feel like a scene out of a science-fiction film. But days after surgery you can be back to a normal life.
"Nine weeks later, the final surgery is completed with the reconstruction of the breasts with an implant. There have been many advances in this procedure in the last few years, and the results can be beautiful."
Jolie says her desire to be around for her six children motivated her to take preventive action, and hopes other women do the same.
"I wanted to write this to tell other women that the decision to have a mastectomy was not easy," the Oscar winner wrote. "But it is one I am very happy that I made. My chances of developing breast cancer have dropped from 87 percent to under 5 percent. I can tell my children that they dont need to fear they will lose me to breast cancer.
"It is reassuring that they see nothing that makes them uncomfortable. They can see my small scars and thats it. Everything else is just Mommy, the same as she always was. And they know that I love them and will do anything to be with them as long as I can."
Jolie, widely considered one of the most beautiful women in the world, says having her breasts removed doesn't make her feel any less feminine. "On a personal note, I do not feel any less of a woman," she wrote. "I feel empowered that I made a strong choice that in no way diminishes my femininity.
"I am fortunate to have a partner, Brad Pitt, who is so loving and supportive. So to anyone who has a wife or girlfriend going through this, know that you are a very important part of the transition. Brad was at the Pink Lotus Breast Center, where I was treated, for every minute of the surgeries. We managed to find moments to laugh together. We knew this was the right thing to do for our family and that it would bring us closer. And it has."
Jolie ended her op-ed article with a plea to other women to get themselves checked and tested for cancer.
"For any woman reading this, I hope it helps you to know you have options," she wrote. "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.
"Life comes with many challenges. The ones that should not scare us are the ones we can take on and take control of."
Update:
- Angelina Jolie will get ovary-removal surgery; cuts cancer risk by 80%
- Angelina Jolie's aunt dies of breast cancer at 61; also had BRCA gene
- Angelina Jolie's maternal grandparents and uncle also died of cancer
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