Angelina Jolie has opened up about her decision to undergo a double mastectomy and have her ovaries removed after discovering she carried the BRCA gene mutation
Angelina Jolie has no regrets about her decision to undergo a double mastectomy and having her ovaries removed. The 50-year-old actress, famed for her roles in Tomb Raider and her latest film Maria, underwent the procedures after learning she carried the BRCA gene mutation, which significantly increases the risk of breast and ovarian cancer.
Reflecting on her surgeries in a candid chat, Angelina explained that her decision was influenced by the tragic loss of both her mother and grandmother to cancer. She shared: “I did choose to have that (surgery) because I lost my mother and my grandmother very young.
“I have the BRCA gene, so I chose to have a double mastectomy a decade ago.”
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She told Hello! magazine: “And then I’ve also had my ovaries removed, because that’s what took my mother.”
Angelina’s mum, Marcheline Bertrand, tragically passed away in 2007 at the age of 56 after a battle with breast and ovarian cancer.
The Hollywood star expressed that she is at peace with her decision to undergo the preventative operations and respects other women’s choices regarding their health.
She stated: “Those are my choices. I don’t say everybody should do it that way, but it’s important to have the choice. And I don’t regret it.”
The BRCA (BReast CAncer) gene mutation notably heightens the risk of developing breast and ovarian cancers, often at younger ages, according to the US National Cancer Institute.
In 2013, Angelina made headlines when she revealed that she had undergone a double mastectomy after doctors gave her an 87 percent chance of developing breast cancer and a 50 percent chance of ovarian cancer.
She then had her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed in 2015.
Her latest film, Couture, delves into similar themes of illness and resilience.
In the film, Angelina takes on the role of Maxine, a woman battling with a breast cancer diagnosis whilst dealing with the emotional and physical impact of chemotherapy.
Discussing the film, she stated: “I think there’s much to say about this, and it is uniting for not just women but for anybody who’s gone through something, or someone who feels vulnerable and alone.”
Although the film is set against the backdrop of high fashion, Angelina emphasised that its focus extends beyond the world of couture.
She explained: “I think it’s not really a film about fashion; it’s a film about the fragility of life.
“Fashion, to me, is a metaphor for the world of appearances; a world where you have to hide your wounds.”
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Source: Mirror
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