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Actress Angelina Jolie posted an article yesterday in the New York Times. Her Opinion Page piece was titled ‘My Medical Choice,’ and revealed that she underwent a double mastectomy earlier this year.

Jolie’s mother died at the age of 56 after a decade long struggle with cancer. Tests revealed that Angelina carries a “faulty” gene, BRCA1, which increases her chances of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer.

According to the actress, 87 percent with the gene risk breast cancer and 50 percent risk ovarian cancer.

The mother of six children, with partner Brad Pitt, decided to be proactive and to minimize the risk as much as she could. “I made a decision to have a preventive double mastectomy. 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.”

“On April 27, I finished the three months of medical procedures that the mastectomies involved. During that time I have been able to keep this private and to carry on with my work.”

The entire process took nine weeks, this included reconstruction of the breasts with implants. Jolie assures other women that the results can be beautiful.

She is happy to report, “My chances of developing breast cancer have dropped from 87 percent to under 5 percent. I can tell my children that they don’t need to fear they will lose me to breast cancer.”

According to the World Health Organization, breast cancer kills some 458,000 people each year, mainly in low- and middle-income countries. The cost of testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2, at more than $3,000 in the United States, remains an obstacle for many women.

Read Angelina’s full story here.

Photo Credit: WENN