Known as one of Hollywood's leading actresses and devoted humanitarian for refugee rights, Angelina Jolie-Pitt, recently underwent surgery to remove her ovaries and fallopian tubes to decrease her chances of developing ovarian cancer.
Before going under the knife to get her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed, Angelina Jolie-Pitt underwent a double mastectomy surgery two years ago for the same reason, to decrease her chances of cancer. Jolie-Pitt carries a mutation of the BRCA1 gene. The BRCA1 gene is a human gene that produces tumor suppressor proteins. The gene increases a woman's chances of getting breasts and ovarian cancer by a higher percentage than average. "About 12% of women develop breast cancer and about 55%-65% of women with the BRCA1 gene develop the cancer. About 1.4% of women in the general population will develop ovarian cancer sometime during their lives, while 39% of women with the BRCA1 gene develop ovarian cancer by the age of 70".
Doctors suggested for the actress to undergo the preventative surgery due to her family's history, specifically the women, of having cancer and losing to the battle. As well as losing her grandmother ad aunt to cancer, she lost her mother, Marcheline Bertrand, to ovarian cancer in 2007. With her mother in mind, Jolie-Pitt underwent the surgeries in order to be able to live long enough to see her children's future. Angelina Jolie-Pitt expressed in her diary, which was documented by New York Times, that she wanted other women who were at risk to be aware of the options they have. She is aware that the surgeries don't rid herself of the risks of contracting either or diseases, but she feels "feminine and grounded in the choices [she is] making for [herself] and [her] family".
"It is not easy to make these decisions. But it is possible to take control and tackle head-on any health issue. You can seek advice, learn about the options and make choices that are right for you. Knowledge is power."-Angelina Jolie-Pitt
(Photo: Twitter)
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