Angelina Jolie lost her mother to breast cancer in 2007. When Angelina's children ask if the same could happen to her, Angelina answers that they don't have to worry, but the truth is that she also carries the BRCA1 gene herself.
This gene increases the risk of breast and ovarian cancer. Angelina has therefore chosen to have her breasts removed as a preventive measure. For the past three months, her life has been dominated by examinations for the double mastectomy. She endured it in silence so she could get on with her work.
Share experience
Now that Angelina has completed the surgery and reconstruction of her breasts, she wants to share her story with others. She tells her story in a column in the New York Times. She hopes other women will benefit from her story.
Support from family
She can honestly tell her kids that they don't have to worry about losing her to breast cancer. Her husband Brad Pitt was always by her side. She knew surgery was the right choice. The whole process has brought the family even closer together.
Read Angelina's column>>
