Jolie's Breast Op Honesty 'Will Help Others'
The actress' decision to reveal she had a double mastectomy will hopefully make women aware of the medical options available.
Tuesday 14 May 2013 11:52, UK
Angelina Jolie hopes that being open about her preventive mastectomy will encourage more women to be tested for the breast cancer genes.
She says women should not be scared of something they can control.
And for women who inherit one of the genes, surgery - although drastic - is highly effective.
In her case it reduced the risk of breast cancer from 90% to just 5%.
Around one in 450 women has one of the two BRCA genes.
But a woman who has close relatives who developed breast cancer under the age of 50 is more likely to carry the gene. And they should talk to their doctor about testing.
On average a woman with the gene has a 65% chance of developing breast cancer by the age of 70.
But recently discovered variations elsewhere in the DNA help doctors refine the risk to individual women.
These can either raise the risk to 90% or more or reduce the risk to just 30%.
Faced with more specific odds, women then have three options.
Some will choose to have a more detailed MRI scan, rather than the usual mammogram X-ray. And they can be done every year, rather than every three, to spot breast cancer at an early stage.
Others will choose preventive drugs, such as tamoxifen, which reduce the risk of cancer by around 50%.
But those at highest risk may choose to have their breasts removed.
Advances in reconstructive surgery have made that decision a little easier. The cosmetic results are now good, with minimal scarring in many cases. And that can reduce the psychological impact.
Jolie says she doesn't feel "any less of a woman" as a result of her operation. She says she has made a "strong choice".
Gene testing is giving people options they didn't have in the past.
And Jolie's experience shows how empowering that can be.
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