The ‘Angelina Jolie Effect’ Is A Real Thing, How The ‘Maleficent’ Star May Have Saved Lives

Back in 2013, Angelina Jolie revealed that she carries a genetic mutation that increased her risk of ovarian and breast cancer. As a result, the Maleficent star elected to undergo a double mastectomy as a preventive measure to minimize her cancer risk. Did Jolie going public about her BRCA1 gene mutation save lives?

Both Jolie’s maternal grandmother and mother died of ovarian cancer, so in an attempt to avoid that same fate, the actress decided to have her healthy breasts removed. She explained the importance of testing and why she decided to have the surgery in an op-ed piece she wrote for the New York Times.

Now, the Daily Mail is reporting that the “Angelina Jolie Effect” is, indeed, a real thing. In a new study, the University of Georgia found that between 2003 and 2014 there was an 80-fold increase in BRCA testing, with the biggest increase coming in 2013 when Jolie made her announcement.

Researchers concluded that many factors contributed to the jump in testing and one of the biggest being celebrity endorsement, especially from Jolie.

“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.

In addition to Angelina Jolie’s support for the testing, the Supreme Court also helped the increase by ruling that no one can patent human DNA tests, including those for cancerous mutations. As a result, access to the testing has improved, and the costs have lowered.

Wonderwall reports that, according to the National Cancer Institute, women who carry the BRCA gene have a 45 to 65 percent chance to develop breast cancer before the age of 70. When you compare that to the general population, where the risk is only 7 percent, it is easy to see why the gene test is so important.

Various studies indicate that nearly 4 million American women have had either ovarian or breast cancer, and at least 1.5 million are at risk for genetic mutations that could cause cancer in the future.

Even though testing for the BRCA gene has increased, experts from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health say that 80 percent of those at risk have not taken the test, or even talked about it with their doctor.

Dr. Christopher Child, the study’s author, says that when you know you have the mutation, you can take steps to lower your cancer risk, just like Angelina Jolie.

[Featured Image by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images]