Angelina Jolie-Pitt carried a 'faulty' gene called BRCA1 which increased her chances of developing breast cancer by 87 percent and ovarian cancer by 50 percent. Her mother, Marcheline Bertrand, fought cancer for nearly eight years. In 2007, Marcheline lost to ovarian and breast cancers at the age of 56.
Angelina doesn't want her children to experience the same loss. The cancer scare and her mother's own battle with the illness prompted her to undergo an elective double mastectomy to decrease the risk of breast cancer as much as possible. She wrote about her experience in The New York Times. Her article was published on May 14, 2013.
In March 2015, Angelina underwent another elective surgery. Her doctor routinely checks the level of CA-125 in her blood. This blood test is used to detect and monitor ovarian cancer. Her doctors found a series of inflammatory markers in her blood. When taken collectively, it could be a sign of premature cancer, her doctor said. Much to her relief, the ultrasound came out negative. Given several options, she decided to have her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed to minimize the risk of ovarian cancer. Again, she shared about her experience in The New York Times and the article was published on March 24, 2015.
Angelina's choice to share her cancer scare and elective surgeries to the world admired many. She wants people to know how genetic testing can save many lives through early detection and empower people through her experiences. A study showed that her plan worked.
Researchers from the University of Graz in Austria conducted a study wherein they found Angelina's proactive decision towards cancer increased awareness in genetic cancer testing as well as post-treatment surgeries such as breast reconstruction.
The research team is made up of doctors from the Medical University of Graz in Austria. The team surveyed a random mix of 2,000 women aged 18 to 65 years old. The first 1,000 women were asked about breast cancer awareness and post-treatment surgery before Angelina's story came out. The second batch of 1,000 women took the same survey after the actress' announcement, with a slight addition. The second group was asked if Angelina's cancer scare press release affected their level of awareness. The doctors found that almost 20 percent of the participants polled said the media coverage increased their awareness about breast cancer. The study was published in the journal Cancer on Sept. 28, 2015.
"The key finding was that Mrs. Jolie's announcement did indeed affect public opinion going beyond gene-positivity," said Dr. David Benjamin Lumenta, one of the study's authors.
Despite criticisms, Angelina maintained that she made her decisions for the sake of her health. While the elective surgeries do not guarantee that she will not get cancer, the proactive and preventive measures could reduce the risks. The actress expressed that everyone is different but it is within her power to learn the many options she has and act on it.
