Angelina Jolie undergoes double mastectomy - What do you think about it?

Dear students,

This month which celebrates both Mothers' Day and the Brides' Month here in Brazil, I invite you to bring  your thoughts on a much intriguing topic, especially for women, which nowadays has pervaded the media: Angelina Jolie's decision to undergo double mastectomy after learning that she carries a mutation of the BRCA1 gene, which sharply increases her risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer.

Hope to have your lively participation here, including the male participation, of course, with this in mind: If you were Brad Pitt, how would you feel with your wife's decision?

Cheerio!

Flávia

1) Warm up: 

Before we start the discussion on the main topic, let's read this CNN article on the 

5 Reasons we love Angelina Jolie. Which one or ones do you support? Do you have any other reason to add, or rather any reason to hate her (:D)?

1. Demonstrating courage

Angelina Jolie has never been afraid to express herself, emotionally or artistically. Her decision to publicly announce her preventative surgery so other women could benefit from her experience shows bravery and an overwhelming desire to help others. She has gone against her own public image and challenged the perception of a woman's identity by choosing to speak up about her operation. Even more powerful, her global reach may influence millions of women to proactively look after themselves.

2. Humanitarian efforts

It has become Jolie's mission to provide a voice for people whose lives have been ravaged by war and natural disasters. In short, she has turned her celebrity status into a force for good. She has personally donated more than $5 million to the UNHCR since 2001. In addition to her appointment as UN Special Envoy to Refugees, the actress has set up the Maddox Jolie-Pitt Foundation dedicated to conservation, education and healthcare in Cambodia.

3. Transcending stereotypes

Jolie refuses to fit a certain mold and proves that women can be daring and independent, and at the same time caring and altruistic. She is a loving mother of six campaigning tirelessly for women and children across the globe, but she is also an Oscar-winning Hollywood actress. The actress has redefined what it means to be a humanitarian.

4. Cinematic talent

From her award-winning portrayal of a mentally unstable woman in "Girl, Interrupted" to starring in the "Lara Croft" series, Jolie has steered clear of typecasting and has not shied away from theatrical risk.

In the last decade, she has steered her career in a serious and meaningful direction, starring in films such as "Changeling," as a distraught mother looking for her son, and "A Mighty Heart," playing the role of Mariane Pearl, wife of U.S. journalist Daniel Pearl who was, in 2002, abducted and killed in Pakistan. In 2011, she made her directorial debut with "In the Land of Blood and Honey," a film about the Bosnian War.

5. From celebrity to icon

Jolie has emerged as a woman who is not afraid to make mistakes. She has made the ultimate transition -- from Hollywood starlet to global ambassador and in turn, has become an icon of female empowerment, strength and independence along the way. Link to Article

2) Read the article and give your opinion on Angelina Jolie's decision.

What aspects do you agree with? Which ones do you disagree with? Why?

Also, see the video to complement the article: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKEOk4Tpjbg

(CNN) – Angelina Jolie undergoes double mastectomy

By Ed Payne, CNN May 16, 2013 -- Updated 1209 GMT (2009 HKT)

Actress Angelina Jolie announced in a New York Times op-ed article on Tuesday that she underwent a preventive double mastectomy after learning that she carries a mutation of the BRCA1 gene, which sharply increases her risk of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer.

"My doctors estimated that I had an 87 percent risk of breast cancer and a 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer, although the risk is different in the case of each woman," Jolie wrote. "Once I knew that this was my reality, I decided to be proactive and to minimize the risk as much I could. I made a decision to have a preventive double mastectomy."

Jolie's mother, actress and producer Marcheline Bertrand, died of ovarian cancer in 2007 at the age of 56. Jolie is 37 years old.

In the Times op-ed, titled "My Medical Choice," Jolie said she finished three months of medical procedures at the Pink Lotus Breast Center in California on April 27 that included the mastectomies and reconstruction. A mastectomy is an operation that removes all or part of the breast.

She wrote that her experience involved a three-step process. On February 2, the actress had a procedure that increases the chance that the nipple can be saved. Two weeks later, she had major surgery where the breast tissue was removed and temporary fillers were put in place. Nine weeks later, she described undergoing "reconstruction of the breasts with an implant."

"There have been many advances in this procedure in the last few years," she said, "and the results can be beautiful."

"I wanted to write this to tell other women that the decision to have a mastectomy was not easy. But it is one I am very happy that I made," Jolie wrote. "My chances of developing breast cancer have dropped from 87 percent to under 5 percent."

BRCA stands for breast cancer susceptibility genes, a class of genes known as tumor suppressors, according to the National Cancer Institute. Mutations of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes have been linked to hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. A blood test can determine if a woman is "highly susceptible" to the cancers. Fellow actress Christina Applegate had a similar procedure in 2008. She also had a mutation of the BRCA1 gene.

Jolie may be best known for title role in the "Lara Croft" series of films, but she also won an Academy Award for best supporting actress in "Girl, Interrupted." She also received a Golden Globe Award and SAG Award for the same role.

Jolie serves as a special envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and has visited refugee camps around the world.

The actress has been in a relationship with actor Brad Pitt since the mid-2000s, and they are engaged. The couple has three biological and three adopted children.

In telling her story, Jolie acknowledged that surgery might not be the right choice for every woman.

"For any woman reading this, I hope it helps you to know you have options," Jolie wrote. "I want to encourage every woman, especially if you have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer, to seek out the information and medical experts who can help you through this aspect of your life, and to make your own informed choices."

But for Jolie, the decision ultimately came down to her kids: "I can tell my children that they don't need to fear they will lose me to breast cancer," she said.  Link to Article

Extra-Readings:

Jolie’s info:

1) Hollywood reacts to Jolie surgery

2) Jolie's brave message

3) Jolie's choice carries risks along with benefits

Extended info:

4) Tough choices in cancer gene fight 

5) Why double mastectomies are up

6) My preventive mastectomy: Staying alive for my kids