Researchers are discovering new genes linked to breast cancer and refining evaluation of risk to help spare women from life-changing surgery. They call it the Angelina Jolie effect: the popular belief that only a preventative double mastectomy can safeguard a woman from developing a tumor if she carries gene mutations linked to breast cancer. Celebrity actress Jolie made headlines in 2013 when she underwent radical breast surgery after revealed she carried a gene—BRCA1—that significantly increased her odds of developing breast and/or .
Fast forward a decade and eight more genes known to raise a woman's susceptibility to breast cancer have been discovered. Among these are BRCA2, which also greatly increases the chances of developing breast cancer, and four genes discovered by BRIDGES, an international research project. Thanks in large part to groundbreaking work by researchers, prophylactic surgery is no longer seen as inevitable for a woman to stay healthy if she carries a gene that increases her risk of breast cancer.
In parallel to these discoveries, medical understanding of risk—the likelihood of a woman developing breast cancer if she carries specific mutations—has also evolved significantly. Avoiding surgery where possible Greater clarity around the level of risk and the treatment options available is welcomed by 's cancer support groups. "The ideal outcome of genetic screening is for women to get an accurate picture of their risk and be offered a personalized ap.