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London – British health campaigners on Tuesday hailed Angeline Jolie for speaking out about undergoing a double mastectomy to prevent cancer, reports The Telegraph.
The Oscar-winning actress made the announcement that she has had a preventive double mastectomy in the form of an op-ed she authored for Tuesday's New York Times under the headline, "My Medical Choice".
Health campaigners in the UK praised Jolie, 37, saying her story will provide support for women in similar situations and it will also raise the profile of the genetic defect.
Jolie decided to have a double mastectomy after genetic testing showed she carries the "faulty" BRCA1 gene and had an 87% chance of developing breast cancer and a 50% chance of getting ovarian cancer.
'She's a very brave lady'
Founder of the UK's National Hereditary Breast Cancer Helpline Wendy Watson said: "It raises the profile for other women to look to if they have a family history and would benefit from being screened more frequently, or having surgery or having a genetic test."
Watson, who underwent a double mastectomy aged 37 in 1992, added that Jolie "probably feels that undergoing the operation is common sense but it probably does take a certain amount of courage to face it".
Foreign Secretary William Hague, who visited refugee camps in the Democratic Republic of Congo with Jolie in March, told Sky News that she gave no indication that she's receiving treatment: "I think she's a very brave lady, not only to carry on with her work so well during such treatment, but also to write about it now and talk about it. I think that she's a brave lady and will be an inspiration to many."
Jolie, who has six children with fiance Brad Pitt, said that the process to have both her breasts removed was "like a scene out of a science-fiction film".
The Oscar-winning actress made the announcement that she has had a preventive double mastectomy in the form of an op-ed she authored for Tuesday's New York Times under the headline, "My Medical Choice".
Health campaigners in the UK praised Jolie, 37, saying her story will provide support for women in similar situations and it will also raise the profile of the genetic defect.
Jolie decided to have a double mastectomy after genetic testing showed she carries the "faulty" BRCA1 gene and had an 87% chance of developing breast cancer and a 50% chance of getting ovarian cancer.
'She's a very brave lady'
Founder of the UK's National Hereditary Breast Cancer Helpline Wendy Watson said: "It raises the profile for other women to look to if they have a family history and would benefit from being screened more frequently, or having surgery or having a genetic test."
Watson, who underwent a double mastectomy aged 37 in 1992, added that Jolie "probably feels that undergoing the operation is common sense but it probably does take a certain amount of courage to face it".
Foreign Secretary William Hague, who visited refugee camps in the Democratic Republic of Congo with Jolie in March, told Sky News that she gave no indication that she's receiving treatment: "I think she's a very brave lady, not only to carry on with her work so well during such treatment, but also to write about it now and talk about it. I think that she's a brave lady and will be an inspiration to many."
Jolie, who has six children with fiance Brad Pitt, said that the process to have both her breasts removed was "like a scene out of a science-fiction film".
