Angelina Jolie has ovaries removed over cancer risk

The film star made the announcement in a #link:http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/24/opinion/angelina-jolie-pitt-diary-of-a-surgery.html:New York Times opinion article# printed on Tuesday. The mother-of-six says she has lost her mother, grandmother and aunt to cancer and the surgery was precautionary as she carries the BRCA1 gene mutation that elevates the risk for ovarian cancer.

"I did not do this solely because I carry the BRCA1 gene mutation, and I want other women to hear this," Jolie wrote in her column. "In my case, the Eastern and Western doctors I met agreed that surgery to remove my tubes and ovaries was the best option, because on top of the BRCA gene, three women in my family have died from cancer."

The Oscar-winning actress announced two years ago in the same newspaper that she had undergone a double mastectomy after learning she had an 87 percent risk of contracting breast cancer.

That announcement was lauded by cancer survivors, medical professionals and other celebrities saying her frankness on the issue is helpful for other women to take charge of their personal health.

jar/msh (AFP, Reuters)