Why did actress Christina Applegate choose a prophylactic mastectomy?
With a history of breast cancer in her immediate family, and cancer in one breast already, Applegate chose to have both breasts removed (a prophylactic mastectomy) to insure that she will not end up with cancer again in the future. Applegate carries the BRCA 1 gene mutation. Over a lifetime, BRCA 1 can increase the risk of the disease by as much as 85 percent. So, the odds are pretty high that she will develop cancer again, and as scary as the surgery is, the fear of death from cancer or the devastating effects of it probably over rode the fear of surgery itself. Plus, carriers of BRCA 1 and 2 also have elevated ovarian cancer risks. So she really has no choice, but to have the surgery, I would say. She does plan on having breast reconstruction, and is able to joke about it, telling people that she will have “cute little boobs till she’s 90”! I’m sure she is devastated, being in an industry where looks are everything, but I think she will come out on top in this situation, more popular
