News analysis: Angelina Jolie's surgery to 'cut ovarian cancer risk'

Writing in the New York Times, actress Angelina Jolie has announced she recently had her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed as tests showed she had an estimated 50% chance of developing ovarian cancer. This is because previous testing found she was carrying high-risk genes linked with ovarian as well as breast cancer. This follows a previous announcement in 2013 when Ms Jolie announced she had undergone a double mastectomy (where both breasts are surgically removed) followed by breast reconstruction surgery. This was because the same high-risk genes gave her an 87% chance of developing breast cancer. Jolie explained: "I had been planning this for some time. It is a less complex surgery than the mastectomy, but its effects are more severe. It puts a woman into forced menopause. So I was readying myself physically and emotionally, discussing options with doctors, researching alternative medicine, and mapping my hormones for estrogen or progesterone replacement. "Regardless of the hormone replacements I’m taking, I am now in menopause. I will not be able to have any more children, and I expect some physical changes. But I feel at ease with whatever will come, not because I am strong but because this is a part of life. It is nothing to be feared."   What genes contribute to ovarian cancer risk? BRCA1 and BRCA2 are faulty genes linked to ovarian cancer. They're also known to increase the risk of breast cancer. Having a family history of ovarian cancer, especial...
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Cancer QA articles Source Type: news