The world was shocked to find out today that Angelina Jolie secretly underwent three surgeries to have a double mastectomy as a preventative measure. The actress was found to have an at-risk gene which left her likely to battle cancer in the future. Now that she has undergone the procedure, her chances of cancer have dropped to a stunning 5%, and Jolie is now serving as a huge inspiration for people everywhere. In an article she wrote for the New York Times in which she revealed her decision, Jolie commented: “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.” Here are 5 celebrities who all made the huge decision to have mastectomies when faced with cancer.
Sharon Osbourne
Sharon underwent the operation to have a double mastectomy when she discovered she had the high risk gene that meant she would likely otherwise get cancer.
Angelina Jolie
Angelina secretly underwent three operations to have a double mastectomy after she found out she was at risk – her mother died of cancer at a young age and Angelina had a high chance of also having cancer. She revealed her story only after the surgeries were complete.
Christina Applegate
Christina had a double mastectomy in 2008 after finding out she had breast cancer.
Giuliana Rancic
Giuliana found out she had cancer late in 2011 and opted to have a double mastectomy shortly after. Luckily, she was only in the early stages.
Kathy Bates
Kathy used twitter to announce that she was cancer free after she had a double mastectomy in 2012.
