Angelina Jolie Highlights Need for At-Risk Women to Be Their Own Advocates

Angelina Jolie revealed in a New York Times piece May 14 that not only that she had a genetic mutation that put her at risk for aggressive breast cancer but also that she had preventive surgery. 

That's a path that more women are taking because there are many more options available, says a Westchester surgeon who pioneered direct-to-implant surgery.

And the first step is self-advocacy, says Dr. C. Andrew Salzberg of the New York Group for Plastic Surgery, 

"Find a surgeon that performs the mastectomy and breast reconstruction procedure that you have researched and want for yourself," he said in a Patch blog post. "There are newer options today, including nipple sparing and direct to implant reconstruction, that can make a woman feel whole again immediately after mastectomy."

Jolie's story is similar to that of Jamie Pleva Nickerson, a breast-cancer survivor who is the subject of a May 12 Patch Journeys profile. She was diagnosed while prepping for preventive surgery as her sister was losing a 9-year battle with the disease.

She now volunteers on behalf of other women with breast cancer, supporting the Young Survival Coalition, a group that educates, empowers and supports young women with breast cancer as they deal with their diagnosis and treatment. You can support her team in the Tour de Pink this fall by clicking here.