Angelina Jolie has double mastectomy to elude breast cancer

shocked when i heard this on the radio this am!!

that's got to be a most difficult decision for any woman to make 

she had her DNA mapped and it showed that she has a 87% chance of getting breast cancer

  7 questions about Angelina Jolie's double mastectomy Chose to have both breasts removed as preventive measure against cancer risk The Associated Press  Posted: May 14, 2013 7:23 AM ET  Last Updated: May 14, 2013 9:30 AM ET Read 5 comments5     Angelina Jolie had a preventative double mastectomy, meaning she chose to have both her breasts removed even though she had not been diagnosed with cancer. (Carlo Allegri/Associated Press)    Here's a quick look at the procedure Jolie had and why.
What kind of surgery did Jolie have?
Jolie had a preventive double mastectomy, meaning she chose to have both her breasts removed even though she had not been diagnosed with cancer.
Why did she have the mastectomies?
Jolie says that she has a "faulty" version of the BRCA1 gene that means she had an 87 per cent chance of getting breast cancer. By having both breasts removed, she said her breast cancer risk drops to below 5 per cent.
What did the procedure involve?
In double mastectomies, surgeons typically remove as much breast tissue as possible. In Jolie's case, because she was having a reconstruction done shortly afterward, the doctors preserved the skin covering her breasts, inserting "fillers" where the breast tissue would have been, to keep the skin elastic. According to Jolie, she had implants put in nine weeks later.
How many women have this faulty gene?
Only a small percentage of women have this same faulty gene, or a similar mutated version of a related gene, BRCA2. These mutations are most commonly found in women of Eastern European Jewish descent; one study found 2.3 per cent of women in that group had the mutations — about five times higher than in the general population. Other ethnic groups, including the Norwegian, Dutch and Icelandic people, also have slightly higher rates of these mutations.
A genetic test using a blood test can usually detect these genes.
How do these genes increase a woman's risk of breast cancer?
The average woman has a 12 per cent risk of developing breast cancer sometime during her life. In comparison, women who have inherited a faulty version of a breast cancer gene are about five times more likely to get breast cancer. In the U.S., about five to 10 per cent of breast cancers are thought to be linked to harmful versions of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes.
What other options might Jolie have had?
Doctors would likely have suggested earlier screening tests, including mammograms or MRIs, but those would only help them spot breast cancer earlier, not prevent it. They might also consider using breast cancer drugs preventively, though trials into their long-term use is still ongoing. "This is not a decision that people take lightly," said Dr. Emma Pennery, clinical director at the British charity, Breast Cancer Care. "You cannot decide to have a double mastectomy next week."
How relevant is Jolie's decision to other women?
For most women, genetics will not play a big part in whether or not they get breast cancer. "The majority of women considering their breast cancer risk should focus on things like a healthy lifestyle, eating a balanced diet, keeping a healthy weight and not drinking too much alcohol," said Dr. Peter Johnson, chief clinician at Cancer Research U.K. About one-third of breast cancer cases in Britain are largely tied to modifiable lifestyle risk factors.
But for women with a similar genetic risk to Jolie, it's possible her decision to go public about her double mastectomies will prompt more procedures. "It's a very empowering message that women are not helpless when faced with a genetic cancer risk," Johnson said.
© The Associated Press, 2013

  www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2013/05/14/...ancer-questions.html

what i find very sad is that after all the kazillion $$$$ raised so far for breast cancer research/cure.......women still need to make this choice

pharmageddon at work??????????

i have a two good friends who made the same choice after they was diagnosed with cancer in one of their breast. :'(

my heart aches for these women.

This is not good for the Male Society ...

Men should PUSH for a Cure and be agressive aboout it.

Such a Delight should not be extinct due to being wiped out by a Disease !

Find a Cure , NOW !

Fondling and Nibbling should be a preserved art form and practice ! 

shes an idiot

there was a documentary that was banned i think from the toronto film festival regarding how these cancer associations do not use the money donated for research.

the american cancer society was named and a canadian one as well.

i stopped giving to them a long time ago. 

i am a firm believer that the cures already exist and the government is with holding it.

we are all bunch of lab rats to fill their pockets

as much as it's not a laughing matter......i know my hubby will join you at the front of the line!! 

maybe you have an idea here Ketch.....since men generally get what they want (it still being mostly a male dominated world).....they should all be fighting to save the Breasts......that nursed them!!!

Exactly !

Men should take the Lead in this fight to Find a Cure , NOW !