Today, The New York Times published an Op-ed by Angelina Jolie Pitt, in which she chronicles her recent decision to remove her fallopian tubes and ovaries in a preventive surgery against ovarian cancer.
Following a double mastectomy two years ago to prevent breast cancer since Jolie’s DNA contains a mutation in the BRCA1 gene, she decided to undergo last week’s surgery (officially called a laparoscopic bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy) after learning of a rise in several inflammatory markers in her annual check-up. Her goal in writing the piece is to share her story with women so that they may have more information about these cancers, various options they can seek in addressing them, and agency in their choices.
If you or someone you know has had these or similar cancers, how did you or that person deal with it? What options do women have for tackling these cancers head-on and with the support that they want and/or need?
Guests:
Sanaz Memarzadeh, M.D., Associate Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology at UCLA School of Medicine. She’s a board certified gynecologic oncologist
Marsha Wilson, Director of Communications and Advocacy Relations, Foundation for Women’s Cancer in Chicago