Angelina Jolie undergoes double mastectomy
LOS ANGELES- Angelina Jolie reveals in a very personal and powerful Op-Ed piece in The New York Times that she underwent a preventative double mastectomy.
Jolie says, through genetic testing, she discovered she carries a mutation of the BRCA-1 gene, a gene that increases your chance of breast and ovarian cancers. Doctors estimated she had 87 percent risk of getting breast cancer, a 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer.
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Jolie’s mother, Marcheline Bertrand, died of ovarian cancer in 2007. In the article, Jolie says she went through three months of medical procedures, including reconstructive surgery.
"Once I knew this was my reality, I decided to be proactive and to minimize the risk as much I could,” Jolie said.
Her chance of developing breast cancer is now at 5 percent, down from 87 percent. Jolie hopes sharing her story can give other women the courage to get tested for this mutated gene.
The test usually costs $3,000 and coverage depends on the insurance companies.
To read the Op-Ed full article, click here.