SASKATOON – Actress Angelina Jolie made a very personal decision to have both of her breasts removed in order to reduce her chances of getting breast cancer. This is raising awareness for a crucial cause, according to local charities and cancer survivors.
Saskatoon’s Fiona Mcgarry-Gatzke’s was diagnosed with breast cancer eight years ago, and had to undergo a mastectomy.
“By the time we were done chemo, there was advancement to the second breast, and I had a mastectomy on that side as well,” she said.
Mcgarry-Gatzke said having a star like Angelina Jolie come forward is making a difference.
“I think her coming open and talking to people like this will help people in many ways, no matter whether it’s the same situation or not.”
Jolie had a preventive double mastectomy, choosing to undergo the surgery even though she had not been diagnosed with cancer. The Hollywood star explained she has a “faulty” BRCA 1 gene, which means she had an 87 per cent chance of getting breast cancer.
By having the surgery, she says her risk for breast cancer is now below five per cent.
“Genetic predisposition occurs in five to ten per cent of women diagnosed with breast cancer,” said Lois Harrison with the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.
“It’s an individual choice, there are some women who will not choose to have the genetic testing done, in fact the majority of them.”
According to the World Health Organization, 500,000 people die from breast cancer each year.
“For a woman with BRCA it’s up to 80 per cent lifetime risk, it’s a significantly elevated compared to the average woman,” said Kelly Metcalfe, associate professor at the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing.
Mcgarry-Gatzke said she would have chosen not to undergo preventative surgery in her earlier years.
According to Harrison, this decision is normal.
“That’s an individual choice, and individual choice that a person makes upon their own situation, their family situation,” said Harrison.
But after all that Mcgarry-Gatzke has been through, she said she would definitely choose preventative surgery now.
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