Like Angelina Jolie, Upper West Side Woman Chose To Have Surgeries To Reduce Cancer Risk
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Actress Angelina Jolie put a very public face on a serious health issue when she announced last week she underwent surgery to remove her ovaries and fallopian tubes to reduce her risk of developing cancer.
In 2013, the "Maleficent" star underwent a double mastectomy for the same reason.
The issue affects many everyday women, including Lori Berlin, of the Upper West Side.
In an in-studio interview, Berlin told CBS2's Andrea Grymes she was tested for a gene mutation that indicates susceptibility to breast cancer after connecting for the first time with a cousin who was diagnosed with cancer.
Berlin said she had previously been diagnosed of being high risk for breast cancer.
"After the initial shock, I was actually relieved to learn this information because everyone talks about knowledge is power," Berlin said. "It truly is."
She, too, decided to have preventative surgeries to remove her breasts, ovaries and fallopian tubes.
"I would do it all over again," Berlin said. "To know that I now have a very, very, very, very good chance of never getting ovarian cancer or breast cancer -- to be able to say that and know that and not be afraid every time I go for a mammogram, it's great to have that information."
To watch the full interview, click on the video above.