Researchers in UK have observed an increased uptake of preventative double mastectomies since May 2013 when Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie announced that she had undergone the breast removal procedure.


Researchers from the Genesis Prevention Centre Family History clinic in UK report that the number of preventative double mastectomies performed after consultation at the clinic more than doubled from January 2014 to June 2015, with 83 procedures performed during this period, compared to 29 between January 2011 and June 2012.


The researchers speculate that the increase is attributable to the heightened awareness of the breast removal procedure since Angelina Jolie publicly announced her decision.


Angelina Jolie underwent a preventative double mastectomy after discovering that she carried a mutation in the BRCA1 gene, which increases the risk of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer. At the Genesis Prevention Centre Family History clinic, the number of preventative double mastectomies performed on women with BRCA1/2 mutations rose from 17 in the 18 month period covering January 2011 to June 2012, to 31 in the 18 months from January 2014 onward.