Angelina Jolie talks about her double mastectomy in this article.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/14/op...ice.html?_r=2&





Angelina Jolie talks about her double mastectomy in this article.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/14/op...ice.html?_r=2&





I think that was brave of her to talk about because maybe it will save lives. I can't say breast cancer runs strongly in my family though one great grandmother did die of it at 89 (after battling it for years)but if I knew the risks were high I would probably have them remove. Very odd to say as they have been my money makers when dancing and modeling but now that I am older if I was a risk they could be a time bomb.
Another celebrity with a double mastectomy!? First was Juliana ran sic and now jolie, make me feel like cancer is just too common, scary.




Tough decision to make no doubt.
If my risk was 87% I'd yank them out too. So brave of her. And this is a good reminder to get screened for breast + ovarian cancer, I've never had either but now I'd like to know...




Agreed. She knew the risks she'd inhereited from her mother (RIP) and she made a very hard but ultimately necessary decision. I totally admire her for being so proactive and thinking about her life in terms of her children's future. It's hard to make extreme medical decisions like this but she's done the right thing. It's great that she explained some of the details of the procedure but I do wish she'd go into the costs of the test and why, exactly, are they so cost prohibitive for women who need this information to potentially save their lives.
"SS=stripper shit, in the same spectrum as CS=customer shit, which is within the spectrum of SaS=sales shit, which is all contained in the universe of BS=bullshit." -- Jay Zeno (mod)
"Show me a hot chick and I'll show you someone who's tired of fucking her."








I'm so glad you posted this! I lost my own mom to breast cancer when she was only 44, and her mother had a breast removed because of cancer, and HER sister's daughters had it, as well! Breast cancer is a huge risk in my family, and I had no idea this was an option. This is inspiring and gives me so much hope for my future! <3




You know, a quick Google search can clear up that kind of misinformation.
I don't know who "they" are but I think you mean it can cost up to $3,000. Apparently only ONE company owns the means to do full testing and they're pushing to gain a patent, thus giving them a monopoly to continue to charge such high rates. Fortunately, you're also wrong about insurance companies. Many do, in fact, cover cancer screening (and possibly genetic testing) and it's also being offered in the new Affordable Care Act. At least women will have the opportunity to get screening, if they have the genetic mutation, under the ACA. Hopefully, that will relieve some of the anxiety some women may have about pursuing preventative treatment, based on the cost.
I do still think the patent thing is uber-weird and kind of unethical. Since Jolie made her statement, stock prices in Myriad Genetics have gone up significantly. Not only is cancer detection/prevention important for the general public to have access to, it's obviously also a very lucrative industry. It kind of rubs me the wrong way.![]()
"SS=stripper shit, in the same spectrum as CS=customer shit, which is within the spectrum of SaS=sales shit, which is all contained in the universe of BS=bullshit." -- Jay Zeno (mod)
"Show me a hot chick and I'll show you someone who's tired of fucking her."










^ I can tell you I've had insurance since I moved out on my own ( always paid out of pocket) hummana and they don't cover it!




Good for her! And I was glad she included advice for partners of women undergoing the procedure about support and unconditional love.
Haters gonna hate.
If you are willing to do for one year what other's won't, you can spend a lifetime doing what other's cant.





I found some more information relating to the patent. Myriad Genetics currently does have a patent on the two genes, but their patent is being challenged in court. Myriad's patents on two genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2, is set to expire in two years.
http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/p...ice-genes.html
It seems to me like a no brainer.......
- She had an 87% chance of getting breast cancer
- The double mastectomy virtually eliminates the chance she gets breast cancer.
- She has the resources to get the best BA money can buy.
Yes, it sucks that she has BRAC1....but since she does......what other choice does she really have? Do nothing and just wait to get cancer? I'm not sure what else she could do here.




For those of you concerned about your chances of being genetically predisposed, my mother was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, and I asked her oncologist about whether I should begin getting mammograms earlier than what's usually recommended. She said that the biggest red flag for genetic predisposition is getting breast cancer (we didn't discuss any other types) early in life. My mother was diagnosed at 60, so although cancer runs in my family, it is unlikely that I am genetically predisposed to breast cancer.
I lost my father to cancer when I was six, and I've watched my mother tan for hours each day, as she has for much of her life, despite doctors telling her she is a time bomb. Her own mother had colon cancer at 30, and she hasn't EVER had a colonoscopy. Now, she has what has thus far been fairly treatable breast cancer, but it still takes its toll.
I think it's great that Angelina took preventative steps to protect herself and her family, and it's a sure reminder that there are less drastic things we can all do to prevent not only cancer, but a myriad of other diseases as well. Personally, I've cut down on drinking (it nauseates me anyway, so I've basically just quit), I wear sunblock, and I've been getting at least 20 minutes of cardio in a day. It's a decent start, at least.





The Supreme Court ruled that big biotech companies can't patent your dna. This could make dna tests for breast cancer, like the one Angelina Jolie had, much cheaper.
http://www.businessinsider.com/gene-...-myriad-2013-6
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