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The 'Angelina Jolie effect' Was Real: Study Reveals She Encouraged More Women Get Themselves Tested

Discussion in 'Oncology' started by Dr.Scorpiowoman, Oct 22, 2017.

  1. Dr.Scorpiowoman

    Dr.Scorpiowoman Golden Member

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    The 'Angelina Jolie effect' was real: Medical study reveals Hollywood star really did encourage more women to get themselves tested for breast cancer

    • Study found there was a huge 80-fold increase in BRCA testing from 2003-2014
    • There was a big spike in 2013, the year actress revealed she carries a mutation
    • She published an opinion piece in The New York Times promoting awareness
    • This arguably prompted court ruling that testing cannot be patented
    • The move was said to have lowered cost of testing and made it more accessible

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    Angelina had preventive surgery to remove both her breasts

    It was dubbed 'the Angelina Jolie effect' by the media.

    When the actress revealed that she carries a genetic mutation that increased her risk of breast and ovarian cancer, it was suspected – and hoped by many – that she had raised awareness of the issue among women.

    Now research has confirmed that a sharp rise in 2013 in females seeking BRCA genetic testing was driven by the Hollywood star, who had preventive surgery to remove both her breasts.

    That was the year Angelina published a piece in The New York Times revealing her decision and promoted BRCA gene testing.

    Her revelation and the surrounding publicity then, arguably, prompted the Supreme Court in the US to declare that human DNA tests – including those for cancerous mutations – cannot be patented.

    This move was said to have lowered the cost of cancer testing and made it more accessible.

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    It is estimated at least 1.5 million US women have a high risk of carrying genetic mutations

    Angelina's mother died of ovarian cancer as did her maternal grandmother. She had her healthy breasts removed to try to avoid the same fate after discovering she had the defective BRCA1 gene.

    There are nearly 4 million women in the US who have had either breast cancer or ovarian cancer.

    At least 1.5 million of these have a high risk of carrying genetic mutations that could increase their chances of having additional cancers in the future.

    The University of Georgia found that between 2003 to 2014, there was a huge 80-fold increase in BRCA testing, with a large jump in testing occurring in Gone in 60 Seconds star's revelation year in 2013.

    It led them to conclude that multiple factors influenced this, including celebrity endorsement, primarily Angelina.

    'This could provide insights on the impact of the policy changes and the media coverage of celebrity endorsement,' said lead study author Dr Zhuo Chen.

    'Jolie's op-ed [opinion editorial], the Supreme Court decision on BRCA gene and the USPSTF recommendation occurred in a very compact timeline.'

    Their study analyzed testing rates, payment to the provider, and out-of-pocket costs for patients, and compared findings to reported revenue from Myriad Genetics, the only provider of the test until 2013.

    Testing can save lives

    Women with hereditary BRCA gene mutations have a 45 to 65 percent risk of developing breast cancer before age 70, compared to 7 percent in the general population, according to the National Cancer Institute.

    Dr Chen said increased awareness of genetic testing can save lives.

    'BRCA testing and counseling provide important information on the risk of developing breast and ovarian cancers among women with family history of the cancers,' said lead study author Zhuo 'Adam' Chen.

    'Appropriate use of BRCA testing would lead to reduction in avoidable cancer mortalities and morbidities.'

    The team also found a big difference in whether women had follow-up surgical procedures after testing among the urban and rural residents.

    'Women residing in urban areas consistently had a higher rates of follow-up surgical procedures than those in rural areas, though the gap is narrowing,' he said.

    As genetic testing becomes more accessible, Chen sees potential for individuals to make more informed decisions about their health.

    'We live in a fortunate time where technology advances have greatly improved the quality of human life,' he said.

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