Angelina Jolie: I had a double mastectomy
Hollywood actress and director Angelina Jolie reveals she had a preventive double mastectomy to reduce her chances of getting breast cancer, after her mother died of the disease aged 56.
Angelina Jolie has announced that she had a preventive double mastectomy after learning she carried a gene that makes it extremely likely she will get breast cancer.
Writing in the New York Times, Ms Jolie said she finished two months of surgical procedures to remove both breasts in April, and replace the tissue with surgical implants.
The 37-year-old made the choice after doctors told her she had an 87 per cent chance of contracting the disease, following the discovery that she carried a faulty gene, known as BRCA1. Ms Jolie’s mother died of breast cancer aged 56.
She had kept the process private but said she was writing about it now in the hope that she could help other women.
“Once I knew that this was my reality, I decided to be proactive and to minimise the risk as much I could,” she wrote.
She said she can now tell her children that they no longer have to worry about losing her to breast cancer.
Ms Jolie said Brad Pitt, her partner and father of her six children, three of whom are adopted, had been “loving and supportive”.
‘Empowered’
“On a personal note, I do not feel any less of a woman. I feel empowered that I made a strong choice that in no way diminishes my femininity,” Ms Jolie wrote.
She added: “For 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.”
Dr Richard Francis, head of research at Breakthrough Breast Cancer said that it is crucial for women with the same gene as Ms Joile to be aware of all the options, including risk-reducing surgery and extra breast screening.
“Though Angelina decided that a preventative mastectomy was the right choice for her this may not be the case for another woman in a similar situation,” he said. “We urge anyone who is worried about their risk of breast cancer to talk it through with their doctor.
“It’s important to remember that BRCA gene faults are rare and in most cases are linked to family history.”
The Oscar-winning actress is best known for her roles in the films Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Mr and Mrs Smith and Girl Interrupted.
A keen ambassador for a range of humanitarian causes, Ms Jolie travelled to the Democratic Republic of the Congo with Foreign Secretary William Hague in March as part of a campaign to end warzone rape.