Angelina Jolie Reveals She Had Double Mastectomy to Prevent Breast Cancer

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Angelina Jolie has always been outspoken about issues that matter to her, and now, for the first time, she's revealing a very personal one: her decision to undergo a preventive double mastectomy after discovering she carries the BRCA1 gene, which increases the risk of developing breast 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 each woman,' she writes in New York Times op-ed piece published in today's edition. 'Once I knew that this was my reality, I decided to be proactive and to minimize the risk as much as I could.'

Jolie, 37, lost her mother in 2007 to ovarian cancer, and she explains in the article that her six children with partner Brad Pitt contributed to her decision to have the surgery--and now, she's speaking out about it to educate other women in her situation about their options..

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  • Watch Angelina Jolie Reveals She Had Double Mastectomy to Prevent Breast Cancer Video
    Angelina Jolie Reveals She Had Double Mastectomy to Prevent Breast Cancer

    Angelina Jolie has always been outspoken about issues that matter to her, and now, for the first time, she's revealing a very personal one: her decision to undergo a preventive double mastectomy after discovering she carries the BRCA1 gene, which increases the risk of developing breast 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 each woman,' she writes in New York Times op-ed piece published in today's edition. 'Once I knew that this was my reality, I decided to be proactive and to minimize the risk as much as I could.'

    Jolie, 37, lost her mother in 2007 to ovarian cancer, and she explains in the article that her six children with partner Brad Pitt contributed to her decision to have the surgery--and now, she's speaking out about it to educate other women in her situation about their options.

    News video | 718 views

  • Watch Angelina Jolie reveals she had Preventive Double Mastectomy after Discovering Cancer Gene Video
    Angelina Jolie reveals she had Preventive Double Mastectomy after Discovering Cancer Gene

    Angelina Jolie says she underwent a preventive double mastectomy earlier this year after learning she carries a gene that increases her risk of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer.
    In a New York Times op-ed published late Monday, the 37-year-old Academy Award winner writes that after genetic testing she learned she carries the 'faulty' BRCA1 gene.
    The risk of developing cancer due to the gene varies, but Jolie says doctors estimated she had an 87 percent risk of breast cancer and a 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer.
    Jolie — whose mother, actress Marcheline Bertrand, died from cancer — says she decided to have the preventive mastectomy to be 'proactive' for the sake of her six children with her partner, Brad Pitt.
    'My mother fought cancer for almost a decade and died at 56,' Jolie writes. '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.'
    Jolie said she has kept the process private so far, but wrote about with hopes of helping other women.
    'I wanted to write this to tell other women that the decision to have a mastectomy was not easy,' she writes. '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 don’t need

    Vlogs video | 658 views

  • Watch Angelina Jolie has a double mastectomy: Film star takes agonising decision to have both breasts removed after learning she had an 87% risk of getting cancer Video
    Angelina Jolie has a double mastectomy: Film star takes agonising decision to have both breasts removed after learning she had an 87% risk of getting cancer

    * Tomb Raider star discovered she carried the BRCA1 gene after losing her mother to disease at the age of 56
    * She began three months of secret procedures on February 2, finishing on April 27
    * Surgery was successful and her chances of getting breast cancer have decreased to less than 5%
    * Actress praised her fiancé Brad Pitt for being 'so loving and supportive'.


    Today Angelina Jolie revealed that she was forced to make the agonising decision to have a preventative double mastectomy, after tests showed she had an 87 per cent chance of contracting cancer.

    The actress opened up about her traumatic experience in a U.S. newspaper, saying that she made the decision to undergo the procedure in February after learning that she is a carrier of the deadly BRCA1 cancer gene.

    The 37-year-old's mother Marcheline Bertrand died at the age of 56 from ovarian cancer, which Angelina revealed she had a high chance of contracting.

    But the Hollywood star has not let the life-changing operation interfere with public engagements - she visited the Republic of Congo on March 26 on humanitarian duties and attended the G8 summit in London on April 11 with William Hague, after her initial operations but before the all the procedures had finished.
    Writing in an editorial piece entitled 'My Medical Choice' in the New York Times, Angelina explained her decision, revealing that she had t

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  • Watch Angelina Jolie reveals she has had Preventive Double Mastectomy Video
    Angelina Jolie reveals she has had Preventive Double Mastectomy

    Actor reveals she has had mastectomy because of gene defect that increases risk of developing cancer that killed her mother.


    Angelina Jolie has revealed she has had a preventive double mastectomy to reduce her risk of developing breast cancer, and has gone public with the news to raise awareness.

    The actor has a defective gene, BRCA1, which significantly increases her risk of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer, she writes in the New York Times. The latter disease killed her mother at the age of 56.

    Jolie says she chose not to keep the decision private in the hope that other women would get gene-tested. 'Once I knew that this was my reality, I decided to be proactive and to minimise the risk,' she says.

    Women with a defect in BRCA1 have on average a 65% risk of developing breast cancer. Jolie says her doctors told her that her risk was 87% and that surgery had reduced it to 5%. The defect also increases the risk of ovarian cancer, which Jolie says doctors estimate is 50% for her.

    The 37-year-old, who has six children – three by Brad Pitt and three adopted – finished three months of medical procedures on 27 April. She says she first had 'nipple delay' to maximise the chances of saving her nipples, before breast tissue removal and, nine weeks later, reconstruction. Pitt was by her side for 'every minute of the surgeries', she said.

    Jolie said h

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  • Watch Angelina Jolie has double mastectomy over breast cancer fears Video
    Angelina Jolie has double mastectomy over breast cancer fears

    Actress Angelina Jolie has revealed she has undergone a preventative double mastectomy to reduce her risk of breast cancer. Report by Sarah Johnston.

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  • Watch Angelina Jolie has double mastectomy over breast cancer fears Video
    Angelina Jolie has double mastectomy over breast cancer fears

    Actress Angelina Jolie has revealed she has undergone a preventative double mastectomy to reduce her risk of breast cancer.

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  • Watch Angelina Jolie Says She Had Double Mastectomy Video
    Angelina Jolie Says She Had Double Mastectomy

    The actress discovered she has the BRCA1 gene which increases the risk of getting breast cancer.

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    Angelina Jolie Double Mastectomy: Brad Pitt Gave Full Support for Mastectomy

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    Angelina Jolie: 'I've Had A Double Mastectomy'

    American actress Angelina Jolie has written about her decision to have a double mastectomy.

    The Oscar-winner was found to have a faulty gene which sharply increases the chance of her developing breast and ovarian cancer.

    Jolie, who lives with Hollywood star Brad Pitt, says in an article for the New York Times that her mother fought cancer for 10 years before her death.

    She writes: 'My doctors estimated that I had an 87% risk of breast cancer and a 50% risk of ovarian cancer, although the risk is different in the case of each woman.

    'Only a fraction of breast cancers result from an inherited gene mutation. Those with a defect in BRCA1 have a 65% risk of getting it, on average.
    'Once I knew that this was my reality, I decided to be proactive and to minimise the risk as much I could. I made a decision to have a preventive double mastectomy.'

    Jolie, 37, who has six children - three by Pitt and three adopted - goes on: 'On April 27, I finished the three months of medical procedures that the mastectomies involved.

    '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 people’s hearts, producing a deep sense of powerlessness.

    'But today it is possibl

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  • Watch Angelina Jolie: I had Double Mastectomy Video
    Angelina Jolie: I had Double Mastectomy

    Angelina Jolie revealed on Tuesday that she has undergone a double mastectomy to reduce her high risk of breast cancer, saying she is speaking out to encourage women address threats to their health.

    Jolie, whose mother died of cancer at the age of 56, said she had managed to keep the issue quiet and continue working. Her medical procedures ended late last month. 'But I am writing about it now because I hope that other women can benefit from my experience,' she said.

    The 37-year-old American actress wrote in an opinion piece entitled 'My Medical Choice' in The New York Times that she had chosen the procedure because she carries a faulty gene that increases her risk of both breast and ovarian cancer.

    Jolie, one of Hollywood's best-known faces and the partner of actor Brad Pitt, said that because of this gene, known as BRCA1, her doctors estimated she had an 87 per cent risk of breast cancer and a 50 per cent risk of ovarian cancer.

    '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,' she wrote.

    '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,' Jolie wrote.

    She said that on April 27 she completed the three months of medical procedures that the mastectomi

    Entertainment video | 582 views

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