US actress Angelina Jolie delivers a speech during a visit to a camp for displaced Iraqis in Khanke, Iraq, on Jan. 25. AFP
MANILA, Philippines—Actress Angelina Jolie has revealed that she underwent a surgery to remove her ovaries and fallopian tubes to prevent the risk of having cancer.
The surgery comes two years after Jolie underwent a preventive double mastectomy.
In an article Jolie wrote for the New York Times on Tuesday titled “Angelina Jolie Pitt: Diary of a surgery,” she said that she “carried a mutation in the BRCA1 gene,” which gave her an 87 percent risk of breast cancer and 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer.
The actress, who is married to actor Brad Pitt, said her mother, grandmother and aunt all died of cancer.
According to Jolie, the decision came after she received a call from her doctor saying that the results of her blood test showed something that could be the sign of early cancer.
Jolie revealed that with the surgery, she would no longer be able to bear a child as the operation puts a woman into “forced menopause.”
“I will not be able to have any more children, and I expect some physical changes. But I feel at ease with whatever will come, not because I am strong but because this is a part of life. It is nothing to be feared,” she said.
Jolie, however, said that while she felt good about her decision, her choice may not be right for every woman.
“The most important thing is to learn about the options and choose what is right for you personally,” she said.
She admitted that “it is not possible to remove all risk” and the fact remained that she was prone to cancer.
She said she would look for natural ways to strengthen her immune system.
“I feel feminine, and grounded in the choices I am making for myself and my family. I know my children will never have to say, ‘Mom died of ovarian cancer,’” Jolie said. NC