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Star power: When actress Angelina Jolie went public on her double mastectomy, many women sought genetic counselling and testing for cancer
There has been a surge in women undergoing genetic tests for breast cancer since Angelina Jolie spoke out about her decision to have a preventative mastectomy, figures show.
Experts say the impact of the 39-year-old actress’s announcement last May was not only immediate, but also long-lasting.
Dubbed the ‘Angelina Effect,’ the numbers undergoing screening increased by two and a half times compared to the same period last year, after the star revealed she underwent a double mastectomy after testing positive for a BRCA1 gene mutation.
The study, published in the journal Breast Cancer Research and based on figures from 21 centres, shows that many more women approached their GPs with concerns after the actress went public.
Far from being women with unfounded concerns, researchers found it was women with a family history of breast cancer, which translated into appropriate referrals for testing.
The BRCA1 mutation is inherited from a parent, and is the cause of at least 10 per cent of breast cancers. Women who have the BRCA1 gene mutation have between 45 per cent and 90 per cent risk of developing breast cancer in their lifetime.
If women have a strong family history of breast cancer and a living relative with breast cancer, it is possible to test for the mutation.
Clinical guidance in Britain, which was published not long after Jolie made her announcement last year, recommends that only women who are at a greater risk of developing breast cancer should be referred for genetic testing at a family history clinic or a regional genetics centre.
The researchers, led by Doctor Gareth Evans of Genesis Breast Cancer Prevention and St Mary’s Hospital in Manchester, wanted to see if there was a lasting effect.
They assessed data from 12 family history clinics and nine regional genetic centres in Britain and found that there was a two-and-a-half-fold increase in referrals by their GPs for June and July 2013 – immediately after Jolie’s announcement, compared to the same two months in 2012.
The rise in referrals continued from August to October with a two-fold increase over the same period the previous year.
The researchers believe that during this period of increased interest, there was no greater proportion of inappropriate referrals by GPs.
Researchers found that there was a two-and-a-half-fold increase in referrals by their GPs for June and July 2013 – immediately after Jolie’s announcement. File picture
Dr Evans, professor of clinical genetics at Genesis Breast Cancer Prevention, said: ‘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.’
The researchers believe that Jolie’s announcement has made people more aware of the risk of a family history of cancer and risk-reducing strategies that can be taken. They think that more work should be done to improve awareness and access to family cancer services.
‘Angelina Jolie stating she has a BRCA1 mutation and going on to have a risk-reducing mastectomy is likely to have had a bigger impact than other celebrity announcements, possibly due to her image as a glamorous and strong woman’
Dr Evans added: ‘Angelina Jolie stating she has a BRCA1 mutation and going on to have a risk-reducing mastectomy is likely to have had a bigger impact than other celebrity announcements, possibly due to her image as a glamorous and strong woman.
‘This may have lessened patients’ fears about a loss of sexual identity post-preventative surgery and encouraged those who had not previously engaged with health services to consider genetic testing.
‘These high-profile cases often mean that more women are inclined to contact centers such as Genesis – and other family history clinics – so that they can be tested for the mutation early and take the necessary steps to prevent themselves from developing the disease.
‘Of course, in some cases this may mean a risk-reducing mastectomy, however cancer preventing drugs, such as tamoxifen, and certain lifestyle changes like a healthy diet and more exercise, are also options which many women may consider.’
The research was funded by the charity Breast Cancer Campaign.
Sally Greenbrook, senior policy officer at the charity Breakthrough Breast Cancer, said: ‘We have heard anecdotally that referrals to family history and genetics services had increased since Angelina Jolie’s announcement but it’s interesting to see evidence to support this.
‘We’re also encouraged to learn that women with a family history of breast cancer are recognising that they may be at increased risk of developing the disease and taking a proactive approach to their health.
‘It’s important to remember however that only one in five breast cancer cases are linked to having a family history of the disease, and faults in known breast cancer genes are very rare.
‘This is why genetic testing is only offered to those considered to be at higher risk following a family history assessment.
‘We know that some family history services currently struggle to meet demand. It’s important that NHS services have enough resource to meet this increased demand.’
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