Angelina Jolie, a tough decision

[Lex]

Angelina, the beautiful Angelina, she sure made a tough decision to have a double Mastectomy. Of course, it was all over the news today, apparently though, it's been kept quite for a while, because she's already had reconstruction done. Apparently the procedure should reduce her chances of breast cancer by 90%. She was found to have 2 gene mutations that make her a lot more susceptible to breast cancer and ovarian cancer. Her Mother died of ovarian cancer @ 56.

Apparently there is some debate over the company's gene work, and how valid their theories are I was reading today. But Angelina bought into it all the way, a bold and courageous decision. It had to be excrutiatingly tough for a woman as beautiful and famous as her to make this decision.

Well, I am sure she made the decision that was right for her. If it saves her life someday, then great. Some people aren't big Angelina fans, myself, I like her. I don't blame her for breaking up Brad and Jennifer. I figure that had to be destined for failure someday anyway, they were probably just to different, based upon Brad being a little "out there". I see Jen as a much more traditional woman than Brad probably needed. But that's tabloid gossip for some other site.

I just thought since Angelina is "Laura Croft", she's HTG newsworthy, so we are covering it here.

Get completely well soon Angelina! She was sooooo sexy in that movie the Tourist. I wonder how Brad felt about her being with Johnny Depp in that movie! LOL.

[madmac]

Ya....that took a lot of guts. I'm not sure it was the best decision or whether it was necessary. Breast cancer when detected early is quite treatable. A woman of that wealth could get her breasts checked every day if she wanted.....and the best and IMMEDIATE treatment if needed. It takes a lot of conviction to have a perfectly healthy part of your body cut off for something that 'might' happen in the future?.

[sgtjim57]

I also heard this morning that she will undergo ovarian removal in the near future. I understand the surgeries when one has the cancer but to do preemptive removal seems illogical. My hat is off to her for making these difficult decisions.

[George Bellefontaine]

If there had been something my wife could have done to prevent her from getting pancreatic cancer, I know she would have done something about it . So I feel Jolie did the correct thing. Yeah, it took a lot of guts, but she saw her mother, with that gene, die at an early, so I'm sure that was a huge factor in her decision. I wish her well and hope she lives a long and healthy life.

[wkhanna]

Yes, Sir George, her mother died in her 50’s IIRC, from ovarian cancer.

It seems she has inherited an unusual genetic condition which dramatically increases her odds of developing breast & ovarian cancer in the future. Those who can afford it are able to have their genome screened for such genetic anomalies. But one must also be willing to want to know. If you could choose to know exactly when you will die & why, would you elect to be given that information? What if you could not afford to take steps to intervene or correct issues or diseases that could be prevented?

Lots of questions regarding how all this new genome screening can & will be used. I believe in most if not all states, it requires a judge’s subpoena to acquire a person’s DNA. But all that is needed is a strand of hair. And who has control, oversight & access to the database?

[Hdale85]

Well, my only thing is that she didn't have any sort of cancer yet? Why not have more screenings more often and get a leg up on treatment if she actually gets cancer. I don't know, it's just like treating something that you don't have?

[PewterTA]

Maybe at her age she just wanted to get a lift and said, you know while you're at it.... change the oil too. lol

It must be nice to have the money to just go, "Yeah, before anything actually happens, lets do it."

[wkhanna]

Well, my only thing is that she didn't have any sort of cancer yet? Why not have more screenings more often and get a leg up on treatment if she actually gets cancer. I don't know, it's just like treating something that you don't have?

That is a point well made by others.
Breast cancer alone in not necessarily fatal, it is when the cancer spreads to other parts of the body that makes it lethal.
If detected early, it can be treated quite successfully.

In other words, she was not treating a medical condition; she was treating her inability to deal with risk.

Some experts in the cancer treatment field are concerned that because of her stature in public media, this is setting the wrong example for how the average woman should deal with the issue of breast cancer, its diagnosis & treatment.

[Hdale85]

Some experts in the cancer treatment field are concerned that because of her stature in public media, this is setting the wrong example for how the average woman should deal with the issue of breast cancer, its diagnosis & treatment.

Yeah I can easily see how they'd feel that way.

[Lex]

I read the percentages, not sure what they were, but they were quite low for women to have this gene that she had. The thing is, the odds of her getting cancer were 90%, if you believe the gene analysis. I believe that is what I read. there are some, that dispute this gene analysis by this company, and that's the scarey part, you are putting your decision to lop off your parts to believing in 1 drug company? I'm not sure I trust any of them that much. I think i am of agreement with more regular breast checkups. The ovarian, well, that's a personal choice of when a woman is through having children, she can have that done if you have Jolie's money anyway. For most people, I think there would have to be a medical justification for insurance to pay for this procedure.

I know George. Very difficult to know there was nothing she could have done, even if. :-(

Angelina's Mom was 56 when she died. For anyone that doesn't know, Jon Voigt is her Father. Her Mom was an actress for a time. She didn't have a lot of achievements like Angelina, or her Dad. But she gave Angelina some good genes' too huh? :-) Most probably know that Jon Voigt is her father.

[Hdale85]

I have a hard time believing we can predict accurately enough just based on a gene that you have a 90% chance to develop cancer? Either way more frequent screenings seems like a much more realistic treatment.

[Chris D]

I have a bit of a different/unique perspective on all of this. For years, I wondered if there was a possibility I could inherit a disease that my father had. Two years ago, based on tests, a doctor recommended I get a genetic test, and after fighting with insurance for two years, I got it done by alternate means. Yes, genetic information can tell if someone may have some sort of chance of getting a disease, all the way up to a 100% certainty, depending on the genetic information and which disease it is. For me, my genetic issue seems to be certain.

Genetic issues seem academic and interesting when viewing them from the outside, but when it happens to you, it changes EVERYTHING. And I do mean EVERYTHING. Your complete perspective on life changes. So genetic testing is not something to take lightly or play around with, and trained genetic counselors should always be consulted, even if the options seem obvious. After getting genetic information, I really can't fault anyone, for any choice that they make. I totally understand how different everything becomes. So I can't fault Angelina one bit for her choice. I even admire the guts it takes to a good degree.

[George Bellefontaine]

Well stated, Chris. I agree entirely.

[mjb]

Sometimes the weather man says there's a 90% chance of rain, and it doesn't. Trouble is, the insurance people are still all over it.

[Chris D]

mjb, that's definitely part of it. If a genetic test comes back positive, insurance companies will not issue you a new policy, and may try to deny claims as "pre-existing" conditions. In my case, my insurance also refused to pay for the test itself, even after years of doctors saying it was necessary.