Angelina Jolie reveals double mastectomy
Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie has had a preventive double mastectomy, it was revealed today.
The star said she took the decision to have the procedure when doctors told her she had an 87 per cent risk of breast cancer and a 50 per cent risk of ovarian cancer.
In The New York Times, the actress said she finished the three months of medical procedures on April 27.
Paying tribute to partner, actor Brad Pitt, Jolie said: "I am fortunate to have a partner, Brad Pitt, who is so loving and supportive.
"So to anyone who has a wife or girlfriend going through this, know that you are a very important part of the transition."
The 37-year-old star said she was writing about the ordeal, in an article titled My Medical Choice, in the hope other women can benefit from her experience.
Jolie, whose mother had cancer and died at 56, said waking up from the operation can feel "like a scene out of a science-fiction film". She said the decision to have the mastectomy was not easy but that she was happy to have gone ahead with it.
Urging women to get checked out, the star said: "I hope it helps you to know you have options."
Have you been faced with a similar decision to Angelina Jolie? Get in touch with your experiences at newsroom@shropshirestar.co.uk
