World Cancer Day -February 4
How I Fought the Risk of Breast Cancer..!
by Angelina Jolie, Actor and Director.
My mother fought cancer for almost a decade and died at 59. She held out long enough to meet the first of her grandchildren. But, my other children will not have the chance to experience how loving & gracious she was.
We often speak of Mommys mommy, and I try to explain the illness that took her away from us. They have asked if the same could happen to me. I have always told them not to worry, but the truth is I carry a faulty gene, BRCA1, which increases my risk of developing breast cancer & ovarian cancer.
My doctors estimated that I had an 87 % risk of breast cancer and a 50 % risk of ovarian cancer.
Only a fraction of breast cancers result from an inherited gene mutation.Those with a defect in BRCA1 have a 65 % risk of getting it,on average.
Once I knew that this was my reality, I decided to minimise the risk as much 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.
Theres an Option..!
On April 27, 2013 I finished the 3 months of medical procedures that the mastectomies involved. During that time I have been able to keep this private and carry on with my work. But I am writing about it now because I hope that other women can benefit from my experience.
Cancer is still a word that strikes fear into peoples hearts, producing a deep sense of powerlessness. But today it is possible to find out through a blood test if you are susceptible to breast & ovarian cancer, and take action.
My own process began on February 2, 2013 with a procedure known as a nipple delay, which rules out disease in the breast ducts behind the nipple & draws extra blood flow to the area. This causes some pain and a lot of bruising,but it increases the chance of saving the nipple.
Two weeks later I had the major surgery, where the breast tissue is removed and temporary fillers are put in place. The operation can take eight hours. You wake up with drain tubes and expanders in your breasts. It does feel like a scene out of a science-fiction film. But days after surgery you can be back to a normal life.
Nine weeks later, the final surgery is completed with the reconstruction of the breasts with an implant.
There have been many advances in this procedure in the last few years, and the results can be beautiful.
I wanted to write this to tell other women that the decision to have a mastectomy was not easy. But it is one I am very happy that I made. My chances of developing breast cancer have dropped from 87 % to under 5 %. I can tell my children that they dont need to fear they will lose me to breast cancer.
The cost of testing for BRCA1,at over $ 3,000 in the US, is an obstacle for many. It is my hope that they, too, will be able to get gene tested, and that if they have a risk they, too,will know that they have strong options.
The writer is an actor and director. The New York Times
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