Breast cancer prevention awareness increased due to 'Angelina effect,' study suggests

It isn't surprising to see celebrities and individuals of a certain status quo use their platforms to raise awareness on issues they are passionate about, whether these are topics on global warming, feminism, and health, among others. While it may be easy to say that these efforts may only propel publicity, new research actually shows that it is, indeed, effective.

According to Reuters, new study from Austria by Dr. David B Lumenta, an assistant professor and senior physician at the Division of Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery in the Department of Surgery at the Medical University of Graz, and his colleagues revealed that public awareness has improved after Angelina Jolie shared her story on the risks of breast cancer, and how it helped her decide to get a double mastectomy.

In 2013, Jolie wrote an op-ed in The New York Times, chronicling her family's history with cancer. In it, she revealed that she had lost her mother, grandmother, and aunt to cancer, and that she too, carried the mutation in the BRCA1 gene, giving her an 87 percent risk for breast cancer, and 50 percent risk for ovarian cancer. She also spoke of her decision-making process, and how her husband, Brad Pitt, was very supportive of her decision.

In another op-ed for The New York Times titled "Angelina Jolie Pitt: Diary of a Surgery" published earlier this year, Jolie revealed that she also had her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed.

Jolie wrote, "It is not possible to remove all risk, and the fact is I remain prone to cancer. I will look for natural ways to strengthen my immune system. I feel feminine, and grounded in the choices I am making for myself and my family. I know my children will never have to say, 'Mom died of ovarian cancer.'"

Lumenta and his team collected data from 1,000 women online in March 2013, just before Jolie's first op-ed. The researchers also surveyed another 1,000 women in June 2013. The two polls showed that awareness about breast reconstruction being posible after breast removal rose from 89 to 92 percent. Additionally, awareness on breast reconstruction using a woman's own tissue rose from 58 to 69 percent.

Researchers also found that previously, only 41 percent of women knew that breast removal and reconstruction could be done in the same surgery. Following Jolie's announcement, it rose to 60 percent. Additionally, 20 percent of the women in the second survey admitted that media coverage of Jolie's announcement helped them deal with breast cancer on a more personal level.

"Health topics, notably cancer, have always been of interest to the general public, and the predominant sources of information range from traditional media (magazines, newspapers) to Internet-based health platforms," said Lumenta.

Medical News Today also reports that according to Lumenta, "Since individual choice will become a driving force for patient-centered decision-making in the future, cancer specialists should be aware of public opinion when consulting patients with breast cancer."