Angelina Jolie reveals she has had a double mastectomy after learning she had an 87% risk of breast cancer

Angelina made the decision after discovering she is a carrier of the BRCA1 gene
Star began three months of secret procedures on February 2, finishing on April 27
Surgery was successful and chances of getting breast cancer have decreased from 87% to less than 5%
Angelina decided to have the surgery for her children, after her own mother died of ovarian cancer aged 56
Actress praised her fiancé Brad Pitt for being 'so loving and supportive'

PUBLISHED: 05:58, 14 May 2013 | UPDATED: 08:02, 14 May 2013

Angelina Jolie has revealed she has had a preventative double mastectomy after tests showed she had an 87% chance of contracting breast cancer.

The actress made the decision to undergo the procedure after learning that she is a carrier of the BRCA1 cancer gene.

The 37-year-old's mother Marcheline Bertrand died at the age of 56 from ovarian cancer, which Angelina revealed she has a 50% chance of contracting.

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Speaking out: Angelina Jolie, pictured here on April 4 this year after having a preventative double mastectomy, underwent the surgery after discovering she had an 87% change of contracting breast cancer

Writing in an editorial piece in the New York Times, Angelina said: 'My doctors estimated that I had an 87% risk of breast cancer and a 50% risk of ovarian cancer, although the risk is different in the case of each woman.

'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 be proactive and to minimize 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.

ANGELINA'S BRAVE JOURNEY

February 2nd - Angelina begins three months of treatments prior to undergoing a preventative double mastectomy, starting with a 'nipple delay, which rules out disease in the breast ducts behind the nipple and draws extra blood flow to the area'

February 16th - The actress undergoes the major surgery - an eight hour operation which sees the breast tissue removed before temporary fillers are put in place

April 4th - Angelina attends the Women in the World Summit in New York looking in good spirits

April 11th - Angelina is pictured with William Hague at the G8 Summit in London

April 20th - Angelina has her breasts reconstructed with implants

April 27th - The mother-of-six completes the medical process. She is told that the surgery was a success and her chances of contracting breast cancer have now been reduced from 87% to less than 5%

May 14th - Angelina reveals her decision in an editorial piece published in the New York Times newspaper

Making it through: Angelina is pictured on April 20, one week before completing three months of medical procedures

In secret: Angelina hid the fact she was undergoing the mastectomy and continued working during treatment

Tragic loss: Angelina's mother Marcheline Bertrand sadly died from ovarian cancer at the age of 56

'On April 27, I finished the three months of medical procedures that the mastectomies involved. During that time I have been able to keep this private and to carry on with my work.'

The star's surgery was successful and doctors say Angelina's chances of developing breast cancer have now lowered to less than five per cent.

'I wanted to write this to tell other women that the decision to have a mastectomy was not easy,' she wrote. 'But it is one I am very happy that I made.

Family matters: Angelina said her six children are one of the main reasons she decided to have the surgery

Supportive: The actress said fiance Brad Pitt has been by her side throughout the treatment and that they have still found the time to laugh

Slender: It was hard not to notice Angelina's very slender frame when she attended the American Society Of Cinematographers Awards on Feb 10 this year

'My chances of developing breast cancer have dropped from 87 percent to under 5 percent. I can tell my children that they don’t need to fear they will lose me to breast cancer.'

WHAT IS PREVENTATIVE MASTECTOMY?

Preventive mastectomy is the surgical removal of one or both breasts. It is done to prevent or reduce the risk of breast cancer in women who are at high risk of developing the disease.

In a total mastectomy, doctors remove the entire breast and nipple, while in a subcutaneous mastectomy, the doctor removes the breast tissue but leaves the nipple intact.

Existing data suggests that the treatment may significantly reduce the chances of developing tumors by about 90per cent.

Many choose to have breast reconstruction to restore the shape of the breast following surgery.

SOURCE: www.cancer.go

Angelina praised the support her fiancé Brad Pitt and their children, Maddox, 11, Pax, nine, Zahara, eight, Shiloh, six, and four-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne, gave her during treatment.

'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 Mommy, 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.

'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. Brad was at the Pink Lotus Breast Center, where I was treated, for every minute of the surgeries.

'We managed to find moments to laugh together. We knew this was the right thing to do for our family and that it would bring us closer. And it has.'

Angelina assured that having the double mastectomy hasn't changed the way she feels about herself and her womanliness, and added that results of reconstructive surgery 'can be beautiful'.

'On a personal note, I do not feel any less of a woman,' she said. 'I feel empowered that I made a strong choice that in no way diminishes my femininity.'

In addition, the brave star hopes that she can encourage other women to be informed and consider their options.

'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 people’s hearts, producing a deep sense of powerlessness.

Brave woman: Angelina, seen with son Maddox on April 12, hopes that speaking out will encourage other women to be informed and understand their options

Still working hard: Angelina attended the G8 summit in London last month. She is seen here on April 11 with William Hague

A lot going on: Angelina was still in the midst of her procedures when she attended the Foreign Ministers G8 meeting in Lancaster House on April 11 in London, England

'But today it is possible to find out through a blood test whether you are highly susceptible to breast and ovarian cancer, and then take action.'

Angelina added: 'For any woman reading this, I hope it helps you to know you have options. I want to encourage every woman, especially if you have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer, to seek out the information and medical experts who can help you through this aspect of your life, and to make your own informed choices.

'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 will able to get gene tested, and that if they have a high risk they, too, will know that they have strong options.

'Life comes with many challenges. The ones that should not scare us are the ones we can take on and take control of. '

Travelling: Angelina, pictured March 26 this year, travelled to the Republic of Congo with Hague for her humanitarian duties during the month of March

Finding time for others: Despite going through her own personal battles, Angelina continued to help others by travelling to the Congo in a bid to encourage world powers to do more to tackle rape and sexual assault in war zones

VIDEO Angelina appears in public to speak at the G8. April 2013

VIDEO: Angelina Jolie speaks at the G8 Summit in London

KATCHING MY I

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Tuesday, 14 May 2013