Angelina Jolie Chooses Preventative Double Mastectomy

In an editorial for the New York Times today, actress Angelina Jolie revealed she underwent a double mastectomy last month. Jolie said she chose the procedure after receiving results of BRCA testing.

BRCA tests are a form of genetic testing that look for two specific genes. The National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health describes the genes and their significance: "BRCA1 and BRCA2 are human genes that belong to a class of genes known as tumor suppressors. Mutation of these genes has been linked to hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. A woman's risk of developing breast and/or ovarian cancer is greatly increased if she inherits a deleterious (harmful) BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation. Men with these mutations also have an increased risk of breast cancer. Both men and women who have harmful BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations may be at increased risk of other cancers."

In the USA, all BRCA testing is currently performed by Myriad Genetics. Myriad's website states that most insurance carriers cover genetic testing services for hereditary cancer.

Jolie writes that after losing her mother to cancer, she knew how important it was to pursue preventative care. After learning she had a "faulty" BRCA1 mutation, she made the chose to have a double mastectomy. She said the surgery and recovery were difficult, but worth it--she did it for her children.

Jolie writes, "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 [...] I choose not to keep my story private because there are many women who do not know that they might be living under the shadow of cancer. It is my hope that they, too, will be able to get gene tested, and that if they have a high risk they, too, will know that they have strong options."

I admit: I seriously cried while reading Jolie's editorial. I can only imagine the fear she must have felt and the strength she needed to get through such a difficult time. Her editorial also struck a chord with me, as I have had my own struggles with preventative care: I had a hysterectomy last year due to early cervical cancer and endometriosis. I'm in the midst of another struggle now that means appointments with an oncologist and possible surgery and radiation in the future.

I have long considered having BRCA testing done, as I lost my great-grandmother to breast cancer. I'm inspired to do so now after reading Jolie's moving editorial. I hope that those of you reading feel the same.