Angelina Jolie has ovaries, fallopian tubes removed over cancer concerns

the Oncology Nurse Advisor take:

Actress Angelina Jolie announced Tuesday that she underwent surgery to remove her fallopian tubes and ovaries out of fear of a hereditary form of cancer.

Having lost her mother, grandmother, and aunt to cancer, Jolie underwent a double mastectomy 2 years ago over similar concerns. Jolie opted to have her ovaries and fallopian tubes last weeks after a blood test revealed that she may be in the early stages of cancer.

After Jolie underwent the procedure to remove both of her breasts, the pros and cons of preventative measures were pushed into the spotlight, ultimately causing the "Angelina Jolie effect," in which there was an increase in women with genuine concerns about their family history of breast cancer seeking advice from health care professionals. Her announcement could produce the same effect for women concerned about their risk of ovarian cancer.

Further tests showed that the actress was not actually in the early stages of cancer, but she opted for the surgery before of her family history and because she carries the BRCA1 gene mutation that increases her risk of developing ovarian cancer by 50% and breast cancer by 87%.