Angelina Jolie recently underwent a mastectomy because she had the BRCA1 gene, which makes breast cancer more likely.  Angelina's mother had the gene and died of cancer.  According to People magazine, Ange is also considering removal of the ovaries as there is also increased likelihood for ovarian cancer with the BRCA1 gene.

Angelina Jolie's double mastectomy surgeon Kristi Funk talked about Angelina's breast cancer prevention surgery in this month's Los Angeles magazine, and she is on the cover.  She said this about Angelina's BRCA1 gene preventative breast mastectomy surgery:

"She is intensely private, but she calculated the moment when she would be ready to reveal something so personal,."

Angelina "waited to find the perfect timing in her personal and professional life, but I think most importantly in her soul."

"When someone who is arguably the most beautiful woman in the world removes the part of her body that is symbolic of femininity and sexuality, you have to say, 'Why would she do that?'"

As for Angelina's revelations in an editorial that she had a double mastectomy surgery, Funke said: "She knew always that in her philanthropic core she couldn't keep this a secret and be who she is."

Angelina Jolie wrote an important editorial for the New York Times about her mastectomy breast cancer prevention surgery.  She cited the role of her mother in making the decision:

"My mother fought cancer for almost a decade and died at 56. She held out long enough to meet the first of her grandchildren and to hold them in her arms. But my other children will never have the chance to know her and experience how loving and gracious she was.

"We often speak of "Mommy's mommy," and I find myself trying to explain the illness that took her away from us. They have asked if the same could happen to me. I have always told them not to worry, but the truth is I carry a "faulty" gene, BRCA1, which sharply increases my risk of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer.

"Once I knew that this was my reality, I decided to be proactive and to minimize the risk as much I could. I made a decision to have a preventative double mastectomy.  I started with the breasts, as my risk of breast cancer is higher than my risk of ovarian cancer, and the surgery is more complex. "

Angelina Jolie also described why she chose to share her breast cancer surgery with the public:

"I choose not to keep my story private because there are many women who do not know that they might be living under the shadow of cancer. It is my hope that they, too, will be able to get gene tested, and that if they have a high risk they, too, will know that they have strong options.

"Life comes with many challenges. The ones that should not scare us are the ones we can take on and take control of. "

Watch Angelina Jolie Video Here: