Angelina Jolie’s choice: living with BRCA1/2 mutations

Carriers of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations, like the actress Angelina Jolie, are at increased risk for both breast and ovarian cancers. Angelina’s decision to undertake preventive mastectomy and ovariectomy has raised awareness on the issue and sparkled a lively debate on which is the best medical choice for mutations carriers. This article will try to put her choice into context, by explaining what it means to have defective copies of these two genes, describing the BRCA1/2 genetic test and the pros and cons of each therapeutic option available at the moment.