Last May, 38-year-old actress Angelina Jolie surprised the industry when she underwent a double mastectomy.  After undergoing a special examination, Jolie discovered that she is a carrier of the mutation in the BRCA1 gene which means that her chances for acquiring breast cancer is 80 percent and 50 percent for ovarian cancer.

Since her mother died from ovarian cancer and her aunt died from breast cancer, the 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith' actress decided to have her breasts removed. The actress announced that her family was her motivation to undergo the surgery.

Jolie's decision then paved way for a surge in women's breast cancer awareness. "It's obviously a great step forward that Angelina Jolie has increased awareness of breast cancer. But we're seeing a large number of women requesting a preventative mastectomy for peace of mind, women who've been diagnosed but don't have a genetic predisposition so wouldn't benefit," claimed Dr. Kefah Mokbel, one of the surgeons of the London Breast Institute.

According to the same institute, genetic testing for BRCA mutations increased by 67 percent whereas the number of women requesting for preventative mastectomies have increased fourfold. Even Canadian hereditary clinics have reported a surge in their consultations. One clinic is B.C. Cancer Agency which claimed a 60-percent increase in the testing since May.

Experts blame it to the "Angelina Jolie Effect", a phenomenon which explains the influence of the actress to people.

Genetic screening for BRCA mutations does not come cheap. Standard laboratories in Europe and United States offer the testing for $1,000 to $3,000.