Angelina Jolie Had A Double Mastectomy, Now Removes Ovaries To Fight Cancer
Several experts in the field of medicine have commended actress and filmmaker Angelina Jolie Pitt for undergoing aggressive cancer prevention surgeries.
In addition to her double mastectomy, Jolie had her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed last week. While others might find her decision rather harsh, experts asserted that Jolie made the right call.
Angelina Jolie wrote a NYT op-ed about getting her ovaries removed after a cancer scare. http://t.co/zFDmXyDawf pic.twitter.com/HXu5nW7Bwu
— Business Insider (@businessinsider) March 25, 2015
American Cancer Society chief medical officer Dr. Otis Brawley empathized with the actress saying, “I understand what Angelina Jolie did, and I would have done it too.” Brawley also added that, if he were Jolie’s doctor, he would have encouraged her to do the same thing, as her aunt, mother, and grandmother were all victims of ovarian cancer. In addition to that, the actress’ mother was also diagnosed with breast cancer.
Furthermore, Brawley pointed out that Jolie has one of the lethal breast cancer genes which makes her 87 percent likely to develop breast cancer at any point in her life.
The director of the Center for Clinical Cancer Genetics at the University of Chicago also expressed her approbation for Jolie’s decision and even recommended that women who have a high risk of acquiring ovarian cancer should also do the same.
Dr. Funmi Olopade said, “What she’s done is really important to save her life, because there’s no way to detect ovarian cancer.”
Jolie revealed that she had undergone an oophorectomy in a New York Times op-ed published last Tuesday, and she has gained the support of women worldwide even the support of her fellow Hollywood stars. One of the celebrities to back up Jolie’s choice was Kelly Osbourne, daughter of famous rock musician Ozzy Osbourne.
On Tuesday’s episode of The Talk, she shared that she agreed with Jolie’s decision 100 percent.
Osbourne also revealed, “I actually do have the cancer gene. My mom made all of us get tested after she found out that she had it and got her double mastectomy. I know that one day I will eventually have to do it too.”
Medical experts emphasized that some choices Jolie made might not apply to all women diagnosed with the same cancer gene. For one, Jolie wrote that she was advised by her doctor to undergo surgery at the age of 49, 10 years younger than the age when her mother was first diagnosed. Some experts pushed back against this, advising that the best time to have the surgery is between ages 35 to 40.
[Image via Getty Image]
