Barbara Walters: I Had Both Of My Ovaries Removed
Shocking news. Following Angelina’s double mastectomy news, Barbara Walters revealed that she too took preventative measures to fight cancer.
In light of Angelina Jolie’s double mastectomy reveal on May 14, Barbara Walters told her co-hosts on The View that she had her ovaries removed to prevent getting ovarian cancer.
Barbara Walters Had Ovaries Removed
Barbara, 83, said that Angelina’s actions hit close to home for her. She said:
“My sister passed away from ovarian cancer and I had my ovaries removed. It’s not like having the breasts because people don’t see it. But it’s a decision you have to make — it’s preventative. What I think with Angelina Jolie — she’s such a sex symbol and we associate sex with breasts. And the fact that she did this and has retained her beauty and her sexuality. I think it was brave of her, she did it for her own health, but it was so brave to write about it. A women’s sexuality is not tied up with her breasts.”
Barbara Walters Supports Cancer Research
Barbara’s sister did pass away from ovarian cancer and that’s why she’s been helping support research to find a cure for many, many years.
“The subject of ovarian cancer is personal to me. My late sister, Jackie passed away from ovarian cancer in 1985. Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynecologic cancers in the United States and is the fifth leading cause of cancer death among U.S. women. I think it’s very important that we help support ovarian cancer research so that we can find a cure or at the very least spread awareness, so that women can learn about early detection,” Barbara has said in the past.
Angelina Jolie: I Had Both My Breasts Removed
Earlier, we told you that Angelina, 37, decided to have a double mastectomy after her mother, Marcheline Bertrand, died at the age of 56 in 2007 from cancer. Angelina got tested and a “faulty gene,” known as BRCA1, was found. To take preventative measures, she had her breasts removed.
Angelina wrote in an op-ed piece in the New York Times:
“I wanted to write this to tell other women that the decision to have a mastectomy was not easy. But it is one I am very happy that I made. My chances of developing breast cancer have dropped from 87 percent to under 5 percent. I can tell my children that they don’t need to fear they will lose me to breast cancer. I do not feel any less of a woman. I feel empowered that I made a strong choice that in no way diminishes my femininity. I want to encourage every woman, especially if you have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer, to seek out the information and medical experts who can help you through this aspect of your life, and to make your own informed choices. Life comes with many challenges. The ones that should not scare us are the ones we can take on and take control of.”
What do YOU think, HollywoodLifers? Was Barbara courageous to reveal this news?
More Celebrity Cancer News:
- Angelina Jolie Writes: I Had A Double Mastectomy To Prevent Breast Cancer
- Roger Ebert Dead: Famed Film Critic, 70, Loses Battle With Cancer
- ‘Real Chance Of Love’ Star Undergoing Chemotherapy To Fight Colon Cancer