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In May 2013, Angelina Jolie sent shockwaves across the globe. It was not for some great humanitarian deed or giving a sensational performance in a film. Rather, it was due to a deeply personal medical decision. After her mother’s passing, Jolie took the drastic step of going through a double mastectomy, i.e. having her breasts surgically removed.
Surgically altering bodies is not a foreign concept in the glamorous land of Hollywood. However, what Jolie decided to do was unheard of. It is a concerningly unconventional choice. However, she made an even more unconventional choice of discussing the matter publicly. One can’t help but wonder why. Why would she publicize her medical affairs on a global scale?
This article will delve deep into the intricacies of why an actress of Jolie’s stature chose to alter her body in such a manner and everything that followed.
Angelina Jolie in the Shadows of Family History
Angelina Joliewatched her mother Marcheline Bertrand fight almost a decade-long battle with breast and ovarian cancer, and eventually losing her to those diseases forever in 2007. A loss this great left an indelible mark on theGirl. Interruptedactress. This disease had also claimed the lives of her aunt and her grandmother. It was apparent that the issue ran in the family. And Jolie was not oblivious to the potentially fatal risks to her life. As she toldEsquireafter her mother’s passing:
“My grandmother also died young; so, my mother always thought it could happen to her.”
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Having to watch her mother’s pain and her other family members’ plight due to the same disease, theMaleficentactress took proactive steps toward her health, making attempts to avoid an alleged genetic generational curse.
Angelina Jolie’s BRCA Genes Mutation and Involved Risks
Angelina Jolie underwent a gene testing procedure which revealed that there was an 87 percent chance of her getting breast cancer. Along with a 50 percent chance of getting ovarian cancer, as she revealed viaThe New York Times.
As explained in Jolie’s treatment report from her medical facility-Pink Lotus Breast Center treatment report, Breast Cancer (BRCA) genes are responsible for fighting cancer when it happens in the body. Some families carry broken BRCA genes, passing them down to future generations; making the whole bloodline prone to the malignant disease.
Jolie’s case was no different. She too had allegedly inherited the mutated or broken gene from her mother. Upon realizing the inherent threat to her life, Jolie began her treatment. Starting in February 2013, the double mastectomy and the following procedures went on for almost three months.
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During this time, she also had breast reconstruction surgery, with the help of implants and allografts, as was mentioned in her treatment journey from thePink Lotus Breast Center. Through this intricate medical procedure, Jolie reduced her chances of getting breast cancer from 87 percent to under 5 percent, as she mentioned inThe New York Times.
Angelina Jolie’s Brave Decision
Deciding to amputate and replace a body part all in the name of prevention of cancer could not have been an easy decision to make. But there’s another decision theChangelingactress took which is even more courageous. In the most honest way possible, she chose to tell her story.
In matters such as these, people as high-profile as her choose to maintain strict privacy. But Jolie chose otherwise. After her treatment procedures were successful, she fully disclosed her condition and modes of treatment to raise awareness about the disease and how it can be prevented.
As she said in herThe New York Timespiece:
“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.”
She published detailed op-eds of her diagnosis and surgeries. These accounts touched people and raised awareness of breast cancer, genetic disorders, BCRA gene mutation, and gene testing. The decision to tell her story had a huge impact on public health.
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Another Crucial Step: Angelina Jolie’s Oophorectomy
Two years after the globally impactful mastectomy, the Academy Award-winning actress underwent a second preventive surgery. As her BRCA testings had revealed, the chances of her getting cancer were not limited to her breasts. Her ovaries were also at high risk.
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Hence, in 2015, as a preventive measure against ovarian cancer, she had her ovary and fallopian tube removed. This significantly reduced her chances of ovarian cancer, but also had slightly negative effects. For one, the removal of ovaries created a hormonal imbalance in Jolie’s body for which she had to take hormone replacement therapy. This did not work and triggered premature menopause.
Angelina Jolie’s Mastectomy: The Global Impact
Angelina Jolie’s initiative to raise awareness on gene testing and BRCA gene mutations attracted widespread attention. It helped start the conversation on women’s health and preventive measures against cancer.
It was reported by agencies across the world that the testing for BRCA genes has increased multifold in several countries, particularly Australia, the UK, and India(as perHutch News Stories). In her 2013 op-ed, Jolie advocated for accessible prices for treatment and testing of BRCA mutations and related ailments.
In her op-eds, she was transparent and reassuring. Mentioning how her health and treatment affected her children, her partner, and them as a family. She was bold when she commented that this procedure in no way changed her femininity, saying:
“I do not feel any less of a woman. I feel empowered that I made a strong choice that in no way diminishes my femininity.”
Her efforts made many feel seen and helped many see the possibilities they have as people prone to cancer. Jolie used her position and influence in society responsibly and to the best of her abilities, impacting millions of lives around the world.
Arpita Joshi
Articles Published :73
Arpita Joshi is an Evergreen Content Writer at FandomWire. With almost two years of experience, she has learned intricate details of writing in different niches, particularly entertainment.
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