Angelina Jolie's brave choice

GENETIC research is helping unlock the mysteries of cancer.

IN addition to the pain and anguish of a double mastectomy to reduce her high risk of breast cancer, Angelina Jolie, 37, has shown courage in sharing her experience with the public. Ms Jolie, a popular and widely recognised Oscar-winning actress, has written a frank and informative article in The New York Times that will raise awareness of the possibilities of genetic screening for people whose families have higher-than-normal risks of cancer via genes such as BRCA1 and BRCA2.

Those who have seen their loved ones succumb to the disease will empathise especially with Ms Jolie's fears and her determination to be proactive after her mother, Marcheline Bertrand, died from ovarian cancer at 56 after a decade-long battle with the disease. Ms Jolie's article is also likely to save lives because it will prompt many people to seek screening for breast and other cancers as they did after Kylie Minogue and Kerri-Anne Kennerley revealed their diagnoses.

The difficult choice of preventative surgery, of course, should be made only in conjunction with expert medical advice. Ms Jolie's decision highlights the need to prioritise medical research to better understand genetic patterns, discover more effective treatments and develop a reliable screening procedure for ovarian cancer for the general population.