Yahoo Lifestyle Angelina Jolie has double mastectomy
Angelina Jolie has chosen radical surgery to prevent the risk of developing breast cancer
In an opinion piece for the New York Times today, Angelina Jolie revealed that in April she underwent a preventative double mastectomy after discovering she had inherited the "faulty" gene, BRCA1. This gene increases the risk of developing both breast cancer and ovarian cancer.
She wrote, "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 the case of each woman."
Jolie's mother, Marcheline Bertrand, died in 2007 aged just 56 after battling ovarian cancer. After fielding questions from her own children about whether she too would die of cancer, Jolie made the decision to get tested and then go through with the procedure.
Related: 13 questions you should ask your doctor about breast cancer
She wrote, “I can tell my children that they don’t need to fear they will lose me to breast cancer. It is reassuring that they see nothing that makes them uncomfortable. They can see my small scars and that’s it. Everything else is just Mommy, the same as she always was. And they know that I love them and will do anything to be with them as long as I can."
Despite the invasive surgery, she wrote that she feels no less of a woman.
"I feel empowered that I made a strong choice that in no way diminishes my femininity."
Starting tests and medical procedures on February 2, 2013 and ending with the surgery April 27, it's been a long three month journey for Jolie who said she has come forward with her story to encourage women to get tested and educated on their healthcare options.
"For any woman reading this, I hope it helps you to know you have options. I want to encourage every woman, especially if you have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer, to seek out the information and medical experts who can help you through this aspect of your life, and to make your own informed choices."
