Oscar-winning actress Angelina Jolie revealed Tuesday she has undergone a double mastectomy to reduce her high risk of breast cancer, encouraging other women to address threats to their health.
The ultra-glamorous Jolie, whose mother Marcheline Bertrand died of ovarian cancer at the age of 56, said she had managed to keep the issue quiet for months and continue working. Her partner Brad Pitt hailed her as "heroic."
Three months of grueling medical procedures including breast reconstruction ended in late April. Jolie, whose father is Oscar-winning actor Jon Voight, said her chances of developing breast cancer are now just five percent.
"Once I knew that this was my reality, I decided to be proactive and to minimize the risk as much I could. I made a decision to have a preventive double mastectomy," the 37-year-old actress wrote in The New York Times.
"I started with the breasts, as my risk of breast cancer is higher than my risk of ovarian cancer, and the surgery is more complex," she wrote, explaining that she carries a "faulty" gene, BRCA1, that put her at higher risk.
Her doctors estimated she had an 87 percent risk of breast cancer and a 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer, and Jolie said she went ahead with the procedures so her six children would not lose her at a young age.
"I can tell my children they don't need to fear they will lose me to breast cancer," said Jolie. She and Pitt, a Hollywood power couple dubbed "Brangelina" in the tabloids, have three adopted and three biological children.
Jolie described a several-stage surgical process, the main one of which is an operation that can take up to eight hours as the breast tissue is removed and temporary fillers are put in place.
"You wake up with drain tubes and expanders in your breasts. It does feel like a scene out of a science fiction film. But days after surgery you can be back to a normal life," she wrote.
The final phase of the process involved reconstruction of the breasts with implants, she said, adding: "There have been many advances in this procedure in the last few years and the results can be beautiful."
Jolie thanked Pitt for his support, saying the couple had "managed to find moments to laugh together," and said she now only has only small scars that her children can see without alarm.
"They know that I love them and will do anything to be with them as long as I can," wrote the actress, who took home the best supporting actress Oscar in 2000 for "Girl, Interrupted."
"On a personal note, 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."
Jolie, respected for her humanitarian work overseas, said she was speaking out to help other women understand their options, and also to urge authorities to help women in lower-income countries to get the health care they need.
"I am writing about it now because I hope that other women can benefit from my experience. Cancer is still a word that strikes fear into people's hearts, producing a deep sense of powerlessness," she wrote.
"It has got to be a priority to ensure that more women can access gene testing and lifesaving preventive treatment, whatever their means and background, wherever they live."
Jolie, one of the world's highest-paid performers, said the cost of getting tested for BRCA1 and another faulty gene, called BRCA2, is more than $3,000 in the United States and that this "remains an obstacle for many women".
"Life comes with many challenges. The ones that should not scare us are the ones we can take on and take control of," Jolie wrote.
Pitt, 49, quickly praised his wife for her bold move.
"Having witnessed this decision firsthand, I find Angie's choice, as well as so many others like her, absolutely heroic," Pitt told London's Evening Standard newspaper.
"All I want for her is for her to have a long and healthy life, with myself and our children. This is a happy day for our family."
Jolie earned plaudits for going public with her story.
CNN anchor Zoraida Sambolin revealed on-air that she would have a double mastectomy after being diagnosed with breast cancer, saying Jolie "gives me strength."
Grammy-winning singer Sheryl Crow, herself a breast cancer survivor, tweeted: "I commend Angelina Jolie for her courage and thoughtfulness in sharing her story today regarding her mastectomy. So brave!"
Oscar winner Kathy Bates, who also battled cancer, said on Twitter she admired Jolie's courage and "classy way" of sharing her story, but also sent a health warning to women.
"I tested negative for BRCA 1 & 2. Had both breast & ovarian cancer. Examine your breasts, regular mammograms. Stay vigilant," Bates said.
Kristi Funk, the founder of the Pink Lotus clinic in California where Jolie was treated, said outside the facility: "We hope that the awareness she is raising around the world will save countless lives."
But the chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, Otis Brawley, said that, while a preventive double mastectomy "might be the right choice for some women," women should seek second opinions before proceeding.
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