In a shocking and moving announcement Tuesday, Angelina Jolie revealed in a New York Times editorial that she had a preventive double mastectomy in February to reduce her chance of getting breast cancer.
Jolie underwent a $3,000 genetic testing for mutation in the BRCA1 gene. The mutation sharply increased her chance of developing breast cancer. Prior to her mastectomy, doctors estimated the 37-year-old actress and mother had an 87% risk of getting breast cancer and a 50% risk of ovarian cancer. Since the surgery, it has now been reduced to less than 5%. In her op-ed Jolie said, “I do not feel any less of a woman. I feel empowered that I made a strong choice that in no way diminishes my femininity.”
“I think it will be liberating for a lot of woman to see this major sex symbol that went through this and still feels feminine and still feels womanly and still feels sexy,” Cycle co-host Toure said on Tuesday’s show.
After coming out with her editorial, Jolie has received a tremendous amount of support through social media. In the op-ed she said that Brad Pitt, her partner, has been with her every step of the way. “Having witnessed this decision firsthand, I find Angie’s choice, as well as many others like her, absolutely heroic,” Pitt said in a statement.
Jolie decided to share her story because she wanted to try and help other women. “I wanted to write this to tell other women that the decision to have a mastectomy was not easy. But it is one I am very happy that I made,” Jolie said. According to the World Health Organization, there are 1.38 million new breast cancer cases and 458,000 deaths a year worldwide. “At the very least, it will get young woman to maybe read up on when they should be taking tests or when they should be looking into this kind of stuff, ” Cycle co-host S.E. Cupp said.
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