Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie has undergone a double mastectomy to reduce her chances of getting breast cancer.
The 37-year-old mother of six has explained her reasons for having the surgery in the New York Times.
She said her doctors estimated she had an 87% risk of breast cancer and a 50% risk of ovarian cancer. “I decided to be proactive and to minimise the risk as much I could,” she wrote.
She said the process began in February and was completed by the end of April.
I – Word Understanding
Mastectomy – a surgical removal of a breast or part of a breast
Proactive – preparing for possible future problems
II – Have your say
1.Jolie Effect: Angelina Jolie says she hopes her story will be helpful to other women
2.Testing for high-risk breast cancer genes is available in many developed health systems around the world. The NHS in the UK offers free testing to anyone who could be at high risk because they have a strong family history of the disease.
3.More than one in three people will develop some form of cancer during their lifetime. Who are at risk?
065 Angelina Jolie has double mastectomy due to cancer gene
