The Angelina Jolie Effect: The Public Impact of Celebrity Breast Cancer
A recent research study examined the impact of Angelina Jolie’s announcement related to breast cancer. In May of 2013, the actress announced she underwent a double mastectomy to reduce the risk of breast cancer, after testing positive for a BRCA1 gene mutation. According to this study, this announcement triggered a significant rise in the number of women with a family history of breast cancer being tested for the mutation, and this increase persisted for the next 5 months. The findings show that when it comes to health news starring a high profile celebrity, it can have a long lasting effect on the health of the general public. In the article, Evans adds that this encourages more women to visit family history clinics so they can find out about any gene mutations early and take the appropriate action. Although this will mean some women may need to have a mastectomy, he says that others may be advised to take cancer-preventing drugs or adopt lifestyle changes in order to reduce cancer risk, https://www.childinjuryfirm.com/strattera-atomoxetine. Both BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations can be inherited from a parent, and they significantly increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancers, among others. Approximately 12% of women in the general population will develop breast cancer at some point in their lives, but around 55-65% of women with a BRCA1 gene mutation and 45% with a BRCA2 gene mutation will develop the disease. The researchers found that in June and July 2013—immediately after Jolie’s announcement—referrals for genetic testing increased two and one-half times compared with the same period in 2012, from 1,981 to 4,847. A 2-fold increase remained until October 2013, after which time genetic testing referrals began to fall. Angelina Jolie stating she has a BRCA1 mutation and going on to have a prophylactic (preventative) mastectomy is likely to have had a bigger impact than other celebrity announcements. This is possibly due to her glamorous image and relationship to Brad Pitt. This may have lessened patients’ fears about a loss of sexual identity following preventative surgery and encouraged those who had not previously engaged with health services to consider genetic testing. Many of the women seen at TurningPoint have increased family risk of breast and other cancers. TurningPoint cares for women who have had preventative breast cancer surgery in addition to those going through breast cancer. It is important for at-risk relatives to be aware of their family history and request screening or risk-reducing strategies. The Angelina Jolie effect; how high celebrity profile can have a major impact on provision of cancer related services. R. Evans, J. Barwell, D. Eccles, A. Collins. L Izatt. Breast Cancer Research 2014, 16:442
National and Regional Conferences Feature TurningPoint Experts
An important part of TurningPoint’s mission is to advocate for specialized rehabilitation care for all women with breast cancer. TurningPoint is heavily involved in educating the health care community locally and nationally about the role of rehabilitation and exercise for women with breast cancer. In September, Jill Binkley and Cathy Furbish, TurningPoint Physical Therapists, presented at the National Lymphedema Network’s International Conference in Washington, DC. Over 400 rehabilitation and healthcare professionals were at the conference. Jill presented the results of a collaborative research project between TurningPoint, the Avon Breast Center at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta and Emory University. The intent of the project was to provide early rehabilitation intervention for underserved inner-city and minority women with breast cancer. Cathy presented TurningPoint’s model of evidence-based lymphedema care. The model includes early detection, patient education and, for women who develop lymphedema, a scientifically management strategy. Lauren Bober, TurningPoint Physical Therapist and Pilates Instructor, spoke at the Conference of Cancer Patient Navigators of Georgia about the Role of Physical Rehabilitation and Exercise for Cancer Patients. Lauren discussed early intervention, the benefits and importance of exercise for cancer survivors, the current recommendations for the frequency and duration and types of exercise for individuals with different types of cancers and gave recommendations on how to get patients involved with exercise.
TurningPoint in AJC
TurningPoint Featured on CNN
Rehab after breast cancer treatment: HLN’s Susan Hendricks reports on the side effects of breast cancer treatment and how rehabilitation can help.
