Breast cancer tests among women increased in the UK after Hollywood star Angelina Jolie announced her preventive mastectomy treatment.
A recent research suggests that the so-called "Angelina effect" led to the increase of breast cancer testing two-fold in the UK. Angelina disclosed her double mastectomy in May 2013 and the research indicates that referral breast cancer testing continued to increase even until October 2013.
Mastectomy is the partial or complete removal of a person's breast to treat cancer. Double mastectomy is the surgical removal of both the breasts. An individual can opt for mastectomy as a preventive measure to reduce the risk of breast cancer.
Angelina Jolie announced that she will undergo preventive double mastectomy after finding out that she was highly likely to get breast cancer due to the defective BRCA1 gene. Scientists suggest that the BRCA1 gene mutation is normally inherited from a parent and Angelina Jolie has a family history of breast cancer. Her mother, maternal grandmother and maternal aunt suffered from breast cancer.
Angelina Jolie's decision encouraged many women to get themselves checked for breast cancer. Data available from 21 clinics suggest more women in the UK approached their general physicians after Jolie's announcement. The research also highlighted that most of the women who wanted to be checked for breast cancer had family history of the disease.
Gareth Evans, a professor of clinical genetics from Genesis Breast Cancer Prevention, who led the research, suggests that Jolie's announcement had a long-lasting effect. The researchers evaluated data collected from 12 family history clinics and 9 regional genetic centers across the UK.
The researchers found that in June and July 2013, within two months after Jolie's announcement, the number of breast cancer referrals increased by 2.5 times, when compared with the same period in 2012. The research also found a two-fold increase in referrals until October 2013.
"Although there was concern that the increase in attendance following Ms. Jolie's announcement might have been from the 'worried well' coming back for an early repeat screen, our research found that the opposite was true. A higher proportion was from women who were late for their test, rather than those who were coming back early," says Evans.
The Angelina effect has increased people's awareness of breast cancer risks and the steps to reduce them, especially for those with a family history, the researchers suggest.
The research was published in the journal Breast Cancer Research.
