Angelina Jolie undergoes preventive double mastectomy to reduce breast cancer risk

Recently, actress Angelina Jolie announced that she underwent a preventive double mastectomy after learning she carries a mutation of the BRCA1 gene, which sharply increases her risk of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer. 'My doctors estimated that I had an 87 percent risk of breast cancer and a 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer, although the risk is different in the case of each woman,' Jolie wrote. '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.'

Jolies's mother, actress Marcheline Bertrand had died of ovarian cancer in 2007 at the age of 56. Reports suggest that she finished three months of medical procedures at the Pink Lotus Breast Center in California on April 27 that includes mastectomies and reconstruction.

'I wanted to write this to tell other women that the decision to have a mastectomy was not easy. But it is one I am very happy that I made,' Jolie wrote. 'My chances of developing breast cancer have dropped from 87 percent to under 5 percent.'

Also Read

More News

BRCA stands for breast cancer susceptibility genes a class of genes known as tumour suppressors according to the National Cancer Institute. Mutation of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes has been linked to hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. A blood test can determine if a woman is 'highly susceptible' to the cancers. Jolie is known around the world for various movie roles including that of cult video game character Lara Croft from the Tomb Raider series and is engaged to fellow actor Brad Pitt. The couple have three biological children and three adopted ones. In telling her story, Jolie acknowledged that surgery might not be the right choice for every woman. 'For any woman reading this, I hope it helps you to know you have options,' Jolie 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.' But for Jolie, the decision ultimately came down to her kids. 'I can tell my children that they don't need to fear they will lose me to breast cancer,' she said.

What is a double mastectomy?

A double mastectomy is a word used to broadly define the the removal of some parts of the breasts. Usually performed for people suffering from cancer, it is as a preventive measure for high risk patients. Depending on the type of cancer and its location the doctor may remove either the breast and the associated lymph nodes, the breast tissue, areola and nipples or the skin.

There are various types of mastectomies, some of them are - modified radical mastectomy (where the entire breast, associate tissues, muscles and lymph nodes are removed), simple (total) mastectomy (where the entire breast is removed, but the lymph nodes are kept intact), skin-sparing mastectomy (where the entire breast tissue and associated structures are removed, but the skin is kept intact) and Nipple-sparing (subcutaneous) mastectomy (this is where the breast tissue is removed but the chest muscle, areola, and skin is kept intact). In both the skin-sparing mastectomy and nipple-sparing mastectomy reconstruction surgery immediately performed. For women who haven't undergone breast reconstruction there's a device called the mastectomy blouse to give the illusion of having breasts.

What is breast cancer?

Breast cancer is a type of cancer originating from the breast tissues. Both men and women can be afflicted by it though it's rarer in men. Along with cervical cancer it's one of the most common types of cancer that afflicts women. One of the major issues with breast cancer is that it is often not detected soon enough. This is due to low awareness about the disease. Detecting it early can significantly reduce the death risk. It is along with cervical cancer, the most common type of cancer among women in India. The problem is compounded by the fact that we're a largely conservative society and it's uncommon even for educated women to go to a doctor with a problem like a lump on her breast. This has led to a scenario where women don't find out they have the disease until it's too late.

Add The HealthSite as a Preferred Source