Angelina Jolie has ovaries, fallopian tubes removed to cut cancer risk

CNN ^ | 3/24 | Laura SMith Spark

[TangledUpInBlue]

Two years after she underwent a double mastectomy to cut her cancer risk, actress and U.N. envoy Angelina Jolie has had surgery to remove her ovaries and fallopian tubes for the same reason, she wrote in The New York Times on Tuesday.

Jolie, 39, carries a mutation of the BRCA1 gene, which sharply increases her risk of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer. Her mother was diagnosed with the latter at age 49 and died seven years later.

In her New York Times op-ed Tuesday, Jolie said she had been planning the latest preventive surgery for some time.

[Tax-chick]

Hysterectomy tends to lead to additional problems, such as bladder prolapse, and each further intervention is likely to result in additional complications. Strangely enough, we’re designed for best functioning when all our organs are in their original configuration.

If her oncologists didn’t view the uterus as a cancer risk of itself, then leaving it is the smartest choice.

[xsmommy]

she did keep it and it was because there was no family history of uterine cancer. she had 3-4 immediate family members die of ovarian cancer. She knows she cannot prevent cancer 100% but is doing what she can within reason. I notice men are sounding off on this as if she were an idiot, but I wonder how many of them have close family members who have died of these reproductive cancers and/or who carry the BRAC1 gene.

[Loud Mime]

I watched a friend die of cancer. I won’t criticize her one bit.

[caligatrux]

We've got the technology. We can rebuild her... better.

[wardaddy]

Crazy Bee Word

(Hat Tip Buck Cherry)

Now she better load up on a hormone replacement treatment or she’s gonna dry up and masculinize fast

Pity

[CptnObvious]

'Yes, if CNN keeps talking about her ovaries they can't talk about my insecure email server and foreign donations from female abusing nations. Keep it up Clinton News Network!'

/Sarcasm OFF

[Blood of Tyrants]

Paranoia or caution?

[Don Corleone]

Next she’ll remove her legs to prevent her from tripping and falling.

Say what you will. A long time ago when my spouse had surgery they only removed one ovary. 35 years later the remaining one took her to her grave after a year long struggle with ovarian cancer. Sometimes less is more.

[Darksheare]

My grandmother had cancer, and my mother in law had it four times.
I criticize because while she had the ‘markers’ for cancer, there was no problem as yet.
Her action is like getting rid of your car because there “might” be an issue with the brakes, or struts, or something because there are indicators or odds of “something” happening.

[Michael.SF.]

Since she wasn't "sick" this has to be "elective" surgery in the eyes of her insurance so I'm presuming not a penny of it would be covered

At a combined net worth approaching $300 million the surgery cost was a drop in the bucket.

[McGruff]

I was wondering if this was necessary or some kind of publicity stunt. Good to have that cleared up at least.

[John S Mosby]

Virtually none of these resections of tissue will prevent the onset of cancer by the triggering of the BRAC1 gene by whatever triggers cancer cells to form. This is not advised “prevention”.

[Kirkwood]

If you watched your mother die at a young age from a horrible disease, and you knew that you carried the genes for that disease, you would not think it paranoid to remove organs that you are no longer going to use. The risk from surgical complications is insignificant compared to the near certainty of getting ovarian cancer.

[uptowngirl]

That was my thought as well. She saw what cancer did to her mother and does not want to put her family through that.

[Darksheare]

Exactly.

[woofie]

Its fine and dandy but why should we care?

[C210N]

Is there such a thing as mouth surgery?

If yes, hope that becomes popular with the vocal hollyweird elite.

[xsmommy]

with an 80+% chance of getting breast cancer, I cannot blame this woman for having the mastectomy prior to any sign of problems. how long to wait? it’s not like you can be certain that some malignant cell growing within you is going to be able to be caught and eradicated once symptoms occur. what kind of crazy Russian roulette is that to wait for some PROBLEM when the odds are stacked that high against her. She has obviously thought this through and had incredible amount of testing and medical opinions offered. As a mother myself, I understand completely where she is coming from.

[rfreedom4u]

Are her lungs next?

[trisham]

Poor woman.