Angelina Jolie: "I had my ovaries removed and now I'm in menopause"

Angelina Jolie: "I had my ovaries removed and now I'm in menopause"

Angelina Jolie

Photo: GLOBAL LOOK PRESS

Two years ago, the actress shocked the public by radically solving the problem of her possible breast cancer - as tests showed, her probability of getting the disease was extremely high - 87 percent out of a hundred due to a mutation in the BRCA1 gene. Therefore, the actress simply went and went under the knife, where she had a mastectomy, that is, both mammary glands were removed.

Then Angie said that she planned to remove both the ovaries and fallopian tubes, since with a 50-75 percent chance she could develop cancer in these organs. The actress was condemned by many for having undergone such an operation, but she explained: “I went through this in order to be able to live, love, see my children grow up, and meet my grandchildren.” Brad Pitt's wife actually decided to start all these health measures for a reason - her mother, aunt and grandmother died of breast and ovarian cancer.

As a result, as we learned, last week she underwent a spay procedure. It was decided to leave the uterus, since none of Jolie’s relatives had cancer of this organ.

According to the 39-year-old actress, she is now going through menopause and will no longer be able to have children. Jolie wrote a letter to the New York Times where she spoke candidly about what she was going through: “After breast surgery, I was gathering information about my next procedure, since it is more complex and the consequences are more serious. When I called my doctor to find out the latest test results, he told me that this time a slight increase in CA-125 markers was found in the blood, so I need to figure out what it is and visit a surgeon who would check my ovaries. I started going through what thousands of women around the world go through. I told myself that I should be strong and calm. I called my husband in France, and on the same day I visited the surgeon who had operated on my mother. She told me: “You look so much like her”...Internally I broke down. but we smiled at each other and agreed that we would cope with any problem.

On the ultrasound everything looked clear, I felt happy. If there was cancer, it was at a very early stage. But I will find out in five days. The whole time I was walking around in a daze, going to my kids' soccer game and working, trying to appear focused. In the end everything turned out great. I really wanted to hug my children, but I couldn’t because of the radiation I was exposed to for the test. There was still a possibility that I would get cancer, which we could catch at an early stage. But I also had the option of having my ovaries removed, and I decided to do that. Many doctors from the East and West who studied my case agreed on one thing: removing the fallopian tubes and ovaries would be the most correct decision. Three women in my family died of cancer. My mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at 49, and I’m already 39.

Last week I had surgery. It is impossible to escape cancer completely, but I will look for every possible way to keep my immune system working perfectly. I feel feminine, and I know one thing - my children will never say: “My mother died of ovarian cancer.” Due to the hormones I am currently taking, I am in menopause. I won't have any more children, and I'm expecting some changes in my psyche. But I feel that no matter what happens, I can handle it, not because I’m strong. But because it is part of life. And there is nothing to be afraid of. It's not easy to make such decisions. But it is possible to take control of your health. You can seek advice, learn more about the possibilities of being healthy and choose what is best for you. Knowledge is power".

EXPERT COMMENT

An overly radical measure

Jolie's main fears were related to the fact that her close relatives had breast and ovarian cancer. Indeed, cancer of the breast, ovaries, uterus, prostate and intestines is most often inherited. But this does not mean at all that these organs need to be disposed of. Experts simply recommend consulting an oncologist, determining the degree of risk and following an observation plan.

- Up to 10 percent of all women have the same risks as Jolie, but this does not mean that everyone needs to have their mammary glands and ovaries removed! — Vera BALAN, head of the Scientific Advisory Department of the Moscow Regional Research Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor, is confident. - This is too radical prevention. Yes, 20-30 years ago in Russia, when cancer was detected and the mammary glands were removed, the ovaries were also removed, but since then, diagnosis and treatment have come a long way. Nowadays, cancer is detected at an early stage and treated in other ways.

In total, more than 30 markers are known today—indicators that can be used to predict the risk of developing various types of cancer. In Russia, state oncology centers, as a rule, offer a basic version: 14 markers that allow one to determine predisposition to the most common types of cancer - breast, prostate, lung, etc. In commercial clinics, you can also undergo a more complete “predictive” examination, which will cost on average in the amount of about 30 thousand rubles.

IMPORTANT

— Genetic, that is, hereditary factors determine the predisposition to cancer by an average of 25%.

— 25% of the influence comes from lifestyle (diet, sleep, exercise), ecology and bad habits (smoking and alcohol).

“Thirdly, having seen the corresponding unfavorable mutations in genes, doctors prescribe regular preventive examinations. This allows you to catch the disease as early as possible, and at stages 1 and 2, most types of cancer are curable today.

Angelina Jolie had her ovaries removed to prevent cancer

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Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie had her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed due to the risk of cancer. She reported this in her column in The New York Times.

A few weeks ago, an analysis revealed a number of markers in Jolie that could indicate an early stage of the disease. No malignant tumors were found, but the actress decided to prevent the development of cancer in the future.

According to Jolie, the operation is simple, but leads to serious consequences. “I will no longer be able to have children and expect changes to happen to my body,” Jolie wrote. She also noted that she will be looking for natural ways to strengthen her immune system.

Angelina Jolie had a preventative mastectomy

Famous film actress Angelina Jolie underwent a preventive mastectomy to reduce the risk of breast cancer. // MedNews ↣

In May 2013, the actress had to undergo a mastectomy of both breasts (implants were installed instead of the removed mammary glands), since she is a carrier of the BRCA1 gene, which causes breast cancer in 87% of cases and ovarian cancer in 50% of cases. In the past, Jolie's mother, aunt and grandmother died from cancer of the mammary glands and genital area.

The actress drew the attention of readers that her case is not an example for all women: there are many different options depending on individual situations.

Angelina Jolie had her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed due to cancer risk

Global Look Press

Angelina Jolie said she underwent surgery to remove her ovaries and fallopian tubes due to her high risk of developing ovarian cancer Global Look Press

Angelina Jolie announced that she underwent surgery to remove her ovaries and fallopian tubes due to a high risk of developing ovarian cancer. The actress herself wrote about this in her column in The New York Times, published on Tuesday, March 24. Translation of the material is offered by InoPressa.

As Jolie writes, she prepared for this operation in advance, but believed that she still had sufficient time ahead. Two weeks ago, doctors told her that one of the tests she regularly does showed markers indicating inflammation. The doctor advised her to immediately schedule an appointment with a surgeon to have her ovaries checked.

That same day, Jolie went to meet the doctor who treated her mother and whom she last saw on the day of her death from the same diagnosis. “The doctor said that I looked a lot like my mother, and then I burst into tears,” Jolie writes.

The examination and ultrasound examination did not reveal anything suspicious, which allowed the actress to breathe a sigh of relief: this meant that, if there was a tumor, it was in the very early stages. She spent the next five days awaiting the results of the CT scan in a daze, going about her daily activities with her children.

The results were clear, but there was still a small chance that there was still a tumor. “Fortunately, I still had the option of having my ovaries and tubes removed preventatively and decided to do so,” Jolie writes.

She emphasizes that she did this not only because of the presence of a mutation in the BRCA1 gene, which increases the risk of developing cancer - in this case, there are other strategies to prevent the disease. However, in her case, both traditional medicine and adherents of Eastern healing practices recommended surgery, since three close relatives of the actress died from cancer: her mother, aunt and grandmother.

“Doctors warned that in my case, preventative surgery should be done about ten years before reaching the earliest age at which the tumor was diagnosed in my relatives,” explains Jolie. — My mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at the age of 49. I'm 39″.

Laparoscopic surgery to remove the ovaries and appendages took place last week. Postoperative examination showed that a benign tumor had formed on one of the ovaries, but did not reveal the presence of malignant cells. After the intervention, the actress began wearing a hormonal patch and an intraatomic device, which should compensate for the lack of hormones: the operation that Jolie underwent means a premature onset of menopause.

The actress emphasizes that surgery, like the removal of the mammary glands two years ago, does not prevent her from feeling like a full-fledged woman. “I know my children will never have to say the words, ‘My mom died of ovarian cancer,’” the actress says.

Despite hormone replacement therapy, the actress is preparing for changes in her body due to early menopause. “I will no longer be able to have children, my body will change too,” she writes. However, Jolie emphasizes that this is not something to be afraid of, it is just part of life.

“Making such decisions is not easy. But there is an opportunity to take control of events and solve emerging problems. You can contact specialists, find out about possible options and choose what is right for you,” says Jolie. “Knowledge is power,” sums up the actress.

Let us remember that two years ago Angelina Jolie underwent surgery to remove the mammary glands - a bilateral mastectomy, which she also wrote about in the New York Times. According to the actress, she decided to write about the operation she underwent, which is the most difficult test for any woman, in order to help other women who find themselves in a similar situation. In particular, Jolie noted that after a mastectomy, the chance of developing breast cancer decreased to 5%.

39-year-old Angelina Jolie had her ovaries removed

Two weeks ago, in Angelina Jolie's Los Angeles mansion, a phone call rang, which she, like every woman, was afraid to ever hear. The gynecological surgeon who received the test results (Angie takes them every month) suggested that she had an early stage of ovarian cancer.

“I kept telling myself that I was going through the same thing as thousands, hundreds of thousands of women around the world,” Jolie admitted in her essay “Operation Diary” for the American newspaper The New York Times. — I calmed myself down. I knew there was no reason to panic yet. I called Brad, and he flew to me a few hours later - holding hands, we arrived at the clinic.”

Angelina told fans that, thank God, there was no cancerous tumor in her ovaries (note Woman.ru: a tumor discovered by doctors on one of Jolie’s ovaries turned out to be benign). However, the risk of a malignant tumor still remained, so the actress, without hesitation, went under the knife. Angie decided not to have her uterus removed because there was no history of cancer in that organ in her family.

“Before the operation, I remembered my mother, grandmother and aunt, who died of cancer, and burst into tears. “I felt their presence next to me again,” Angie continued. “But in all this horror there were also wonderful moments - I knew exactly what should be done, and did not doubt the decision at all. However, if it weren’t for my family, husband and children, I would have broken down. After all, I was going to undergo surgery this year, but later. I didn't even suspect that this would happen so soon. I was scared".

According to Angelina Jolie in an interview with the American magazine Entertainment Weekly, she was first scheduled for surgery to remove the ovaries and fallopian tubes in 2014. Before Angie's double mastectomy a year earlier, doctors told the actress that she had an 87 percent chance of developing breast cancer and a 50 percent chance of developing ovarian cancer (disappointing prognoses were due to the fact that the actress had inherited the BRCA1 gene from her mother). But in the summer of 2014, Angelina had just finished filming her directorial project “Unbroken” and was traveling around the world presenting the film - there was no time left for surgery.

According to rumors, before the fateful phone call from the Los Angeles clinic, Angie found another good reason to postpone going to the surgeon - motherhood. The actress and her husband Brad Pitt wanted to adopt another baby, from Syria or Kenya. According to the American magazine The National Enquirer, Angelina decided that she would postpone the procedures preceding the operation to remove the ovaries for several months in order to be close to her newfound family member.

“Now I will never be able to give birth to a child on my own. Moreover, at the age of 39 I entered menopause. However, I understand and already now accept the rapid changes in my body, not at all because I am strong, but because such is life, you should not be afraid of it,” Jolie admitted in the same essay. “I wear a special patch that releases estrogen as well as a progesterone coil into the uterus to help maintain hormonal balance.”

At the same time, Angelina said, she still remains at risk of developing cancer. The actress reassured fans by saying that she constantly calls doctors and is looking for the most natural ways to strengthen the immune system: “Despite the removed mammary glands and ovaries, I am still a woman. I am aware of the choice I made. The main thing is that I know that my children will never say: “Mom died of ovarian cancer.”