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American actress Angelina Jolie Pitt has penned an open letter in the New York Times, revealing that she had her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed as a preventative measure.
Angelina Jolie Pitt (Photo Credit: Wikipedia)
This is the second time that Jolie Pitt has written a diary piece in the Times; last time she spoke about the preventive double mastectomy she had done. After having a blood test done, Jolie Pitt found out that she carried a mutation in the BRCA1 gene, which gave her an estimated 87 per cent risk of breast cancer, and 50 per cent risk of ovarian cancer.
“I wanted other women at risk to know about the options,” said Jolie Pitt in the article. “I promised to follow up with any information that could be useful, including about my next preventive surgery, the removal of my ovaries and fallopian tubes.”
Jolie Pitt said that she had been planning the surgery for some time and that while the mastectomy was more complex, the removal of ovaries and fallopian tubes causes more severe effects. A woman is forced into menopause, will need hormone replacement for estrogen and progesterone, and experience emotional and physical pain following the surgery.
Angelina Jolie Pitt with husband Brad Pitt (Photo Credit: Wikipedia)
Jolie Pitt lost her mother, grandmother and aunt to cancer, something she did not want to endure herself. Two weeks ago, she had a routine blood test done, and while the results seemed normal, doctors noticed that she may be showing early signs of ovarian cancer.
“I went through what I imagine thousands of other women have felt. I told myself to stay calm, to be strong, and that I had no reason to think I wouldn’t live to see my children grow up and to meet my grandchildren,” she goes on to say. “I called my husband in France, who was on a plane within hours. The beautiful thing about such moments in life is that there is so much clarity. You know what you live for and what matters. It is polarizing, and it is peaceful.”
Luckily the examination came back clear and a tumor test was negative. There was still a chance Jolie Pitt could get ovarian cancer, however, so she decided to move forward with the preventive removal.
Angelina Jolie Pitt (Photo Credit: Wikipedia)
“I did not do this solely because I carry the BRCA1 gene mutation, and I want other women to hear this. A positive BRCA test does not mean a leap to surgery. I have spoken to many doctors, surgeons and naturopaths. There are other options,” she adds.
Jolie Pitt goes on to say that there are several ways to deal with health issues and by sharing her story she does not want women to run out and undergo surgery, but rather be aware of their options. She had the surgery recently and doctors found a small benign tumor in one of her ovaries, but thankfully no signs of cancer in any of the tissues.
“It is not easy to make these decisions. But it is possible to take control and tackle head-on any health issue. You can seek advice, learn about the options and make choices that are right for you. Knowledge is power,” Jolie Pitt states.
To read the full opinion piece in the New York Times click here.
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