Rome, 18 October (LaPresse) – ‘Undergoing certain types of surgery, such as the removal of the ovaries or similar operations, increases fear and anxiety about the operation. We may think that we are no longer ourselves, that we may feel less feminine when this happens.’ Angelina Jolie, on the red carpet at the Rome Film Festival, talks about the operation she underwent. Specifically, a double mastectomy (removal of both breasts) in 2013 and an oophorectomy (removal of the ovaries and fallopian tubes) in 2015. A decision made following a genetic mutation in the BRCA1 gene, which significantly increased her risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer, a disease that had affected her mother. "I think sometimes we think we are no longer ourselves, that we may feel less feminine when this happens, but we have to be brave and make choices. Overcoming this is actually very feminine and very sexy and makes us stronger and more complete as women. We need to tell those around us this too, and always remember it."
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