Angelina Jolie and 4 other celebrities who have shared their inspiring stories for Breast Cancer Awareness Month
For those in the dark about breast cancer, preventive care can take many forms – from self-examinations, mammograms and blood tests to more invasive surgery
In Hong Kong, one in every 15 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.
For those in the dark about breast cancer, preventive care can take many forms – from self-examinations, mammograms and blood tests to more invasive surgery.
I know my children will never have to say, ‘Mum died of ovarian cancer’
A double mastectomy, or the surgical removal of both breasts, is often done to treat breast cancer. Those at a greater risk of breast cancer might opt for this surgery.
A higher risk of breast cancer is often due to an inherited BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene. According to the US National Cancer Institute, BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes typically produce tumour suppressor proteins. However, inherited mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2 can increase the risk of female breast and ovarian cancers.
Inherited mutations in these genes could also lead to other cancers, particularly ovarian cancer. Many women will opt for a laparoscopic salpingo-oophorectomy in this case, or the removal of one’s ovaries and Fallopian tubes.
As part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we round-up five celebrities who battled breast cancer, either in the early stages or as a form of preventive action. They used their status to tell their stories, share their insights, and urge other women to get checked and prevent the worst outcome.
Angelina Jolie
Actress and activist Angelina Jolie famously underwent a preventive double mastectomy in 2013. A few months later, Jolie wrote a New York Times column explaining her decision to seek out preventive care.
“Those with a defect in BRCA1 have a 65 per cent risk of getting [breast cancer], on average,” wrote the now-44-year-old actress. “Once I knew this was my reality, I decided to be proactive and to minimise the risk as much as I could.”