Angelina Jolie, mastectomies and choice

People keep asking me what I think of Angelina Jolie's prophylactic mastectomy and subsequent op-ed in the New York Times. I've let my thoughts simmer a little before putting them into words. It's hard not to react viscerally to such a dramatic story.I wonder who'll play Angelina in the movie?First and foremost, I want to say that what any woman does to her own body and to preserve her own health is her own damn business. Unless we are in her exact pair of shoes there are limitations on the right to comment. Secondly, I think Ms. Jolie's choice to go public, especially given her status as a Hollywood sex symbol, is very brave. Having a mastectomy is shame-laden for so many of us and discussing the procedure openly does a great service. I love that she chose to emphasize how, most of the time, the mastectomy is not major surgery and recovery can be fairly smooth. A woman without her "natural" breasts can adjust and go on living her life as she did before - even when her husband is Brad Pitt and what she did before was star on the big screen.I think that Ms. Jolie made the right decision for herself, based on her situation and the resources at her disposal. How do I know it was the right decision? Because she is happy with it.That being said, I do have a few things I need to get off my (ahem) chest. These are my thoughts, in no particular order:The vast majority of women would not benefit from genetic testing. We have no family history of breast cancer and do not belong to...
Source: Not just about cancer - Category: Cancer Tags: breast cancer news health care mastectomy surgery preventing cancer cancer blog rants Source Type: blogs