The internet was abuzz this week with news of one of the world's most beautiful women had undergone an elective double mastectomy. Turns out, Oscar-winning actress and activist Angelina Jolie is not stopping there; she also plans to have her ovaries surgically removed, according to an article in Today Moms.
Jolie made the brave and difficult decision to go under the knife after testing revealed a mutation in her BRCA1 gene. She's said to have an 87 per cent risk of contracting breast cancer, and 50 per cent risk of ovarian cancer—odds on which she's not comfortable gambling, given her mother died of ovarian cancer at just 56 years old. She fought the disease for nearly a decade.
The 37-year-old sex symbol, immortalized as video game character Lara Croft, had no plans to let her kids go through what she experienced. Yet Jolie's other half, Brad Pitt, had nothing but admiration for his bride-to-be.
“Having witnessed this decision firsthand, I find Angie’s choice, as well as so many others like her, absolutely heroic," he said in an interview with London's Evening Standard. "I thank our medical team for their care and focus. All I want for is for her to have a long and healthy life, with myself and our children. This is a happy day for our family.”
What do you think of Angelina's radical decision? See what our medical expert has to say about this type of elective surgery...
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