Last year Angelina Jolie, actress and philanthropist, made headlines about her decision to undergo a preventative double mastectomy. Jolie admitted that she carries the BRCA1 gene. BRCA1 stands for breast cancer type 1 susceptibility protein which is located on chromosome 17. This particular gene is responsible for an individual's increased likelihood to develop ovarian and breast cancer.
Scientists have linked the BRCA1 gene with cancer development because of the hundreds of mutations that can be found in the gene. Medical providers told Jolie that she had an 87% chance of developing breast cancer and a 50% risk of developing ovarian cancer. A few days ago, she revealed to Entertainment Weekly that she is choosing to undergo another preventative surgery very soon.
"There's still another surgery to have, which I haven't yet. I'll get advice from all these wonderful people who I've been talking to.....to get through that next stage," Jolie said.
Angelina Jolie's mother, Marcheline Bertrand, died from ovarian cancer at the age of 56 in 2007. The death of her mother proved to be a harrowing time for Jolie. When she discovered that she carried the gene for ovarian cancer, she decided to explore and utilize her options. Precautions and preventative measures should be taken, especially when there is a family history of certain diseases. One poignant factor in Angelina Jolie's decision to undergo a mastectomy was her fear of her children losing their mother to such a deadly disease.
"I can tell my children that they don't need to fear they will lose me to breast cancer" penned Jolie.
Angelina Jolie publicly expressed her thoughts in an op-ed piece published in the NY Times. She decided to go public with her mastectomy experience to note the significance of genetic testing.
National Cancer Institute admits that BRCA1 & BRCA2 Genes do not Necessarily Predict the onset of Breast Cancer
Angelina Jolie deserves to be applauded for her efforts to engage in breast and ovarian cancer prevention. Many individuals choose not to become knowledgeable about issues that affect them and those around them. In this day and age, people tend to look to celebrities for information. It is always helpful when a celebrity is able to promote and encourage awareness about real life health issues. One thing is for certain and it is Jolie's sincere desire to help others by spreading awareness about cancer development and prevention. Even so, it is important to note that BRCA1 testing is just one particular method for cancer prevention.
Researchers are still in the process of gathering answers about BRCA1's link to the onset of breast and ovarian cancer. The National Cancer institute has even admitted that BRCA1 and BRCA2 may not be the cause of breast cancer. According to the NCI, the most current research surrounding these two genes have been focused on large families. Therefore, one cannot outrightly assume that they will get breast cancer if they do have the BRCA1 gene. The NCI also admitted that there isn't any data available from long term studies that have focused on the comparison of females with the BRCA1 gene to people within the general population.
Could it be possible that a double mastectomy was the only option offered to Jolie by her medical providers? One can never know if this particular procedure was held in higher esteem than other cancer prevention methods. What most do not understand is that cancer onset and development involves a myriad of factors. These include nutrition, lifestyle and environmental conditions.
A person who carries the genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 should not coerce themselves into a state of unending worry because genes can be suppressed. It shouldn't be recommended for women to go through such extreme procedures because of a risk. A risk is not a life sentence.
Angelina Jolie endured nine weeks of medical treatments, surgery and breast reconstruction because of a risk. It's so unfortunate when women are victimized and deceived into believing that there is only one way to prevent or lessen the risk of cancer. It is quite sad when the only option women are offered is to surgically remove their body parts in order to be on the safe side. What about the healthy side? The side that promotes nutrition, lifestyle and wellness as methods for cancer and disease prevention.
Why are modalities such as self-empowerment, nutrition and health conscious living placed on the back burner when these are all important factors for the prevention and cessation of cancer and various other diseases? It seems that the only options for halting cancer in this day and age is to undergo radiation, chemotherapy and dangerous surgical procedures.
Empowerment as method for prevention
"Life comes with many challenges. The ones that should not scare us are the ones we can take on and take control of," wrote Jolie.
Medical providers must never forget patient empowerment as a pathway towards good health. People should feel empowered by the mode of disease prevention that they opt to use. Instead of fear-mongering and irrational medical approaches, self-empowerment should always be encouraged.
People should understand that they still have control over their health and their bodies. Nutrition, exercise, wellness and other lifestyle choices can prevent the onset of deadly diseases like ovarian and breast cancer. Genes alone are not the sole factor for determining if cancer will develop in a person. A person can carry a gene for a specific disease their entire life and yet still not develop any illnesses or disease. More research would need to be devoted to understanding why individuals can carry disease-specific genes and not develop any detrimental health conditions or diseases.
To learn more about the BRCA1 gene and it's link to cancer please visit:
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