Angelina Jolie has had a double mastectomy in the hope of avoiding cancer.
The star has written an open letter in The New York Times saying “the decision to have a mastectomy was not easy”, but that the procedure has decreased her chances of getting breast cancer from 87 per cent to 5 per cent.
The mother of six, who has been uncharacteristically out of the spotlight for a number of months, says she feels “empowered” following her treatment.
“My doctors estimated that I had an 87 per cent risk of breast cancer and a 50 per cent risk of ovarian cancer, although the risk is different in the case of each woman,” she writes.
“Only a fraction of breast cancers result from an inherited gene mutation. Those with a defect in BRCA1 have a 65 percent risk of getting it, on average.
“Once I knew that this was my reality, I decided to be proactive and to minimise the risk as much as I could. I made a decision to have a preventive double mastectomy. I started with the breasts, as my risk of breast cancer is higher than my risk of ovarian cancer, and the surgery is more complex.”
Angelina, whose own mother died of breast cancer at 56, finished her treatment on April 27 following three months of medical procedures during which time, she says, she was able to go on with her usual work, keeping the matter private.
In the letter, which she penned to tell other women about her experience, Angelina explains in detail the procedures and thanks her husband Brad Pitt for his continued support.
“I am fortunate to have a partner, Brad Pitt, who is so loving and supportive. So to anyone who has a wife or girlfriend going through this, know that you are a very important part of the transition,” she writes.
She also goes on to talk about how her six children dealt with her decision.
“It is reassuring that they see nothing that makes them uncomfortable. They can see my small scars and that’s it. Everything else is just Mummy, the same as she always was.
“And they know that I love them and will do anything to be with them as long as I can. On a personal note, 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.”
Angelina, who is set to marry Brad this year, says they made the decision together.
“We knew this was the right thing to do for our family and that it would bring us closer. And it has.”
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