Angelina Jolie: New Heroine of Breast Cancer Awareness?

I don't claim to be a huge Angelina Jolie fan, however, I was really struck by her recent NY Times op-ed, where she bravely opened up about being BRCA-1 positive and made the difficult decision to undergo bilateral prophylactic mastectomies. In 2007, Jolie's mother died of ovarian cancer and her maternal aunt just died recently of breast cancer, leaving Jolie at high risk for developing breast cancer and/or ovarian cancer. (The two cancers are linked).

Whilst the definition of "high risk" can vary slightly, generally, if you have an immediate family member (mom, dad, brother, and/or sister) who has been diagnosed with breast cancer or there are BRCA carriers in your family, this makes you high risk for developing the disease. Now, this doesn't mean that you will undoubtedly get breast cancer at some point, but rather it just means that whereas the normal population has about a 12.6% chance, your chances skyrocket to about 86%. Obviously, this is a HUGE difference.

I want to take a moment to say that YES, MEN CAN GET BREAST CANCER TOO! It is rare, compared to women, but not impossible. Men can also be carriers of either BRCA mutation. So, don't think "because I am a man, I don't have to worry about this." You do. You absolutely have a chance of getting breast cancer. In my experience of shadowing a breast surgeon, I saw at least two or three men in the office and eventually in the OR, so I know this can happen.

Some of you may be wondering, "what on earth is BRCA?" First off, BRCA is short for BReast CAncer and if you go to a doctor's office, you will usually hear it pronounced as "Bra-ka." (It is rare to hear someone say, B-R-C-A.) There are two kinds of BRCA genes: BRCA 1 and BRCA 2...and when they are functioning properly, there is no danger. It's when the BRCA genes are NOT FUNCTIONING, that cancer becomes a concern.

BRCA is fundamentally a tumor suppressor gene (anti-oncogene) that when inherited, proves dominant. BRCA genes are mainly involved in repairing of DNA. When someone tests positive for BRCA 1 or 2, it means that their BRCA gene(s) are not doing its job, and DNA is not being repaired, like it should be. If this "broken" DNA is left unchecked, then bad things can happen.

Ever since graduating from college, I have become really passionate about breast oncology and surgery.
As I have probably mentioned before, I spent a little over one year shadowing a breast surgeon, observing her in the office seeing patients, as well as in the operating room. I also served as her clinical research assistant. In my year of working with Dr. K, I learned a tremendous amount about breast cancer.

Not to sound too geeky, but in my spare time, I also enjoy reading about breast cancer, be it diagnosis, case studies, even the history! I am now currently working as a volunteer clinical research assistant at NYU Langone, under the breast service. As you can see, this is a topic that is near and dear to my heart (or breast?) and I care about breast oncology deeply.

That said,  I was delighted that Angelina Jolie shared her struggle and made the realities of not having breast cancer, but the potential of developing the disease so accessible. Well done! I feel like when you read about other celebrities, such as Kathy Bates or Christina Applegate, they shared their stories as breast cancer survivors, but Angelina Jolie's article is refreshing because it is told form the perspective of someone at HIGH RISK for breast cancer. Jolie chose to be proactive and deny breast cancer the chance of taking her. For that, I have the utmost respect and I commend her decision!

I hope more women take Angelina Jolie's story to heart and take care of their breasts. Be it regular mammographies or perhaps checking out your family history. Breast cancer doesn't have to be a death sentence if you are smart about your well being and proactive.

If you haven't read Angelina Jolie's op-ed piece, I highly encourage and recommend that you do: Angelina Jolie article

Also, another very interesting article about how women are reacting to the news and how breast surgeons have become much busier: Increased Awareness

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