The world traveler and humanitarian, Angelina Jolie announced, on May 14, 2013, via an OpEd in the NY Times, that she recently went through a double mastectomy. The actress explained that this particular procedure has reduced her risk of suffering from breast cancer. Jolie feels that she has really made a strong and right decision, which will not affect her femininity in any way. Angelina appreciated the support she received from her spouse, Brad Pitt. She further explained that for anyone who has a girlfriend or wife going through this kind of ailment, her partner plays a vital role in the transition.
Angelina’s doctor claimed that she had an 87% chance of breast cancer and 50% chance of ovarian cancer before the surgery. However, the double mastectomy decreased her risk of breast cancer from 87% to only 5%. On April 27, Angelina finished her medical treatment of three months which involved the mastectomies. During treatment, she kept things private in order to properly focus on the procedure.
Earlier in 2007, Angelina’s mother Marcheline Bertrand, the producer and actress, died from ovarian cancer at age of 56. After her harsh experience during the surgery, Angelina wanted to encourage each and every woman, who has a family history of ovarian or breast cancer, to seek proper guidance from medical experts. She emphasizes that surgery is not the only choice. A patient has to get proper consultation from her health expert.
Today, Angelina Jolie, the heart bit of millions of people, feels extremely proud to tell her fans that they don’t need to feel bad as she is hale and hearty.
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Side note by editor: After the above article was written, it was announced on Sun., May 26, that Jolie’s aunt passed away from breast cancer. Read more here: http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/27/angelina-jolies-aunt-dies-of-breast-cancer/