Actress Angleina Jolie wrote an op-ed piece in the New York Times, revealing that she had a double mastectomy to diminish her risk of getting breast cancer. Jolie, who lost her mother to ovarian cancer, had a mutated gene that left her with an 87 percent chance of developing breast cancer.
Jolie’s choice
In her article, Jolie said her decision to have breasts removed and implants put in wasn’t an easy one, but one she felt was necessary to ensure a long life with her future husband, Brad Pitt, and her six children.
“Once I knew that this was my reality, I decided to be proactive and to minimize the risk as much I could,” she wrote.
“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,” she said. “But today it is possible to find out through a blood test whether you are highly susceptible to breast and ovarian cancer, and then take action.”
She had three surgeries, which started in February. While she is still healing, the 37-year-old actress says most of her recovery is behind her. The chance of her getting breast cancer is now 5 percent.
Joile’s article sparks debate
Jolie’s decision to remove her breasts before being diagnosed with cancer has sparked a lot of debate.
Writer and breast cancer survivor Peggy Orenstein talked about Jolie’s decision with NPR’s David Green.
“I feel that it’s really really important that women recognize that Angelina Jolie is in this very particular group of women that has this genetic mutation,” she said. “She’s not a woman of average risk, and to take her experience and generalize it either to ordinary women of average risk or even women with a family history, that concerns me.”
Orenstein encourages women to talk with their doctor about the risks of breast cancer and make careful decisions about treatment.
