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.