Maleficent star Angelina Jolie has revealed that she had her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed after doctors detected possible early signs of cancer.
The actress and humanitarian carries a mutation in the BRCA1 gene, which increases the risk of cancer, with her mother, grandmother and aunt all dying of the disease.
Her mother, Marcheline Bertrand, was first diagnosed with ovarian cancer at the age of 49 and died in 2007 at the age of 56.
In 2013 she underwent a double mastectomy after learning she had an estimated 87 per cent chance of developing breast cancer, revealing at the time that she also had an estimated 50 per cent chance of developing ovarian cancer.
In an opinion piece for the New York Times, Jolie explained she had been planning the removal of her ovaries and fallopian tubes for some time, readying herself ‘physically and emotionally’ for the effects of the surgery which forces the menopause.Angelina Jolie revealed doctors found possible early signs of cancer
The 39-year-old insisted that her choice was the right one for her, but not necessarily for everyone, saying: ‘There is more than one way to deal with any health issue. The most important thing is to learn about the options and choose what is right for you personally.’
Jolie underwent a laparoscopic bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy last week, which revealed a ‘small benign tumor on one ovary, but no signs of cancer in any of the tissues’.
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.’
she said about her decision: ‘It is not possible to remove all risk, and the fact is I remain prone to cancer. I will look for natural ways to strengthen my immune system. I feel feminine, and grounded in the choices I am making for myself and my family. I know my children will never have to say, “Mom died of ovarian cancer.”‘Angelina Jolie previously underwent a mastectomy.
Explaining she is now in menopause, she added:
‘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.’
