Μόλις εχθές το βράδυ στο Λονδίνο ήταν η πρώτη δημόσια εμφάνιση, της Angelina
Jolie, μετά από την ανακοίνωση της απόφασης της για την
επιτυχημένη διπλή μαστεκτομή που υπέστη πριν λίγο καιρό.
Η ηθοποιός επέλεξε να πατήσει το κόκκινο χαλί συνοδεύοντας
τον σύντροφο της Brad Pitt στην πρεμιέρα
της νέας ταινίας του "World War
Z". Η A.Jolie ακτινοβολούσε κυριολεκτικά φορώντας μια μακριά μαύρη τουαλέτα, δημιουργία του Yves Saint Laurent.
Τον περασμένο μήνα, η Αντζελίνα Τζολί αποκάλυψε σε άρθρο των «New York
Times» με τίτλο '' Μy Medical Choice'' ότι έπρεπε να υποβληθεί σε
μια πολύ σοβαρή επιχείρηση, αφαίρεση του στήθους της, μειώνοντας έτσι τον κίνδυνο για καρκίνο του
μαστού.
Η μητέρα της, Μαρσελίν Μπερτράν, πέθανε από καρκίνο του μαστού το 2007, και την περασμένη εβδομάδα, η θεία της ηθοποιού έφυγε
από τη ζωή εξαιτίας της νόσου.
To άρθρο της Angelina Jolie:
Διαβάστε το!
Μy Medical Choice
We often speak of “Mommy’s
mommy,” and I find myself trying to explain the illness that took her away from
us. They have asked if the same could happen to me. I have always told them not
to worry, but the truth is I carry a “faulty” gene, BRCA1, which sharply
increases my risk of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer.
My doctors estimated that I
had an 87 percent risk of breast cancer and a 50 percent risk of ovarian
cancer, although the risk is different in the case of each woman.
Only a fraction of breast
cancers result from an inherited gene mutation. Those with a defect in BRCA1
have a 65 percent risk of getting it, on average.
Once I knew that this was my
reality, I decided to be proactive and to minimize the risk as much I 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.
But I am writing about it now
because I hope that other women can benefit from my experience. Cancer is still
a word that strikes fear into people’s hearts, producing a deep sense of
powerlessness. But today it is possible to find out through a blood test
whether you are highly susceptible to breast and ovarian cancer, and then take
action.
My own process began on Feb.
2 with a procedure known as a “nipple delay,” which rules out disease in the
breast ducts behind the nipple and draws extra blood flow to the area. This
causes some pain and a lot of bruising, but it increases the chance of saving
the nipple.
Two weeks later I had the
major surgery, where the breast tissue is removed and temporary fillers are put
in place. The operation can take eight hours. You wake up with drain tubes and
expanders in your breasts. It does feel like a scene out of a science-fiction
film. But days after surgery you can be back to a normal life.
Nine weeks later, the final
surgery is completed with the reconstruction of the breasts with an implant. There
have been many advances in this procedure in the last few years, and the
results can be beautiful.
I wanted to write this to
tell other women that the decision to have a mastectomy was not easy. But it is
one I am very happy that I made. 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.
It is reassuring that they
see nothing that makes them uncomfortable. They can see my small scars and
that’s it. Everything else is just Mommy, the same as she always was. And they
know that I love them and will do anything to be with them as long as I can. On
a personal note, I do not feel any less of a woman. I feel empowered that I
made a strong choice that in no way diminishes my femininity.
I am fortunate to have a
partner, Brad Pitt, who is so loving and supportive. So to anyone who has a
wife or girlfriend going through this, know that you are a very important part
of the transition. Brad was at the Pink Lotus Breast Center,
where I was treated, for every minute of the surgeries. We managed to find
moments to laugh together. We knew this was the right thing to do for our
family and that it would bring us closer. And it has.
For any woman reading this, I
hope it helps you to know you have options. I want to encourage every woman,
especially if you have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer, to seek
out the information and medical experts who can help you through this aspect of
your life, and to make your own informed choices.
I acknowledge that there are
many wonderful holistic doctors working on alternatives to surgery. My own
regimen will be posted in due course on the Web site of the Pink Lotus Breast Center.
I hope that this will be helpful to other women.
Breast cancer alone kills
some 458,000 people each year, according to the World Health Organization,
mainly in low- and middle-income countries. It has got to be a priority to
ensure that more women can access gene testing and lifesaving preventive
treatment, whatever their means and background, wherever they live. The cost of
testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2, at more than $3,000 in the United States,
remains an obstacle for many women.
I choose not to keep my story
private because there are many women who do not know that they might be living
under the shadow of cancer. It is my hope that they, too, will be able to get
gene tested, and that if they have a high risk they, too, will know that they
have strong options.
Life comes with many
challenges. The ones that should not scare us are the ones we can take on and
take control of.
Angelina Jolie is an actress and director.
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