Angelina Jolie Has Double Mastectomy Because Of 87% Breast Cancer Risk

[News]

Actress Angelina Jolie, who carries a mutation in her BRCA1 gene, announced that she has had a double mastectomy. Women who carry a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation have a significantly higher risk of developing breast and ovarian cancers. According to Angelina Jolie, her lifetime risk of developing breast cancer before having her breasts surgically removed was 87%...

More... (http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/260516.php)

[gdpawel]

Dr. Robert A. Nagourney gave a really simplistic explanation of The Angelina Jolie Effect.

http://robertanagourney.wordpress.com/2013/05/24/the-angelina-jolie-effect/

A Netherlands abstract, of a 515 women study, is supposed to be presented at the ASCO trade show this weekend that looked at women with the BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutated genes who had been diagnosed with breast cancer.

According to the abstract, risk reducing mastectomy in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers with a history of unilateral breast cancer significantly reduced the risk of developing breast cancer in the other breast. However, the outcome regarding overall survival is insufficiently known.

The 10 year overall survival was 80% for the non-risk reducing mastectomy group and 90% for the risk reducing mastectomy group. The conclusions were that risk reducing mastectomy in BRCA mutation carriers with unilateral breast cancer reduces contra-laterial breast cancer incidence and is associated with improved overall survival.

However survival was improved was not by much. Further research is needed to identify potential prognostic factors for this survival benefit.