Culled from the BBC. Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie says she decided to go public about opting to have an elective double mastectomy to “encourage every woman” to think about their own risk of breast cancer.
The 37-year-old was told by doctors that she had an 87% risk of developing breast cancer without this radical treatment because of genes she inherited from her mother. Jolie explained that her mother fought breast cancer for nearly a decade and died at the age of 56.
While most women will not have the same access to expensive private medical care as Jolie, testing for high-risk breast cancer genes is available in many developed health systems around the world. I wish I could say that for Nigeria. SMH
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.
“For women like Angelina it’s important that they are made fully aware of all the options that are available, including risk-reducing surgery and extra breast screening. “Though Angelina decided that a preventative mastectomy was the right choice for her this may not be the case for another woman in a similar situation. “We urge anyone who is worried about their risk of breast cancer to talk it through with their doctor.”
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