Kelly Osbourne says she, too, has the “breast cancer gene” and plans to have her ovaries preventatively removed.
The former E! fashion correspondent made the announcement on the daytime talk show “The Talk” following a discussion of Angelina Jolie’s New York Times op-ed published this week, which announced she underwent preventative surgery to have her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed.
Jolie is a carrier of the BRCA1 gene, known as the “breast cancer gene.” As the National Cancer Institute explains, “A woman’s risk of developing breast and/or ovarian cancer is greatly increased if she inherits a deleterious (harmful) mutation in the BRCA1 gene or the BRCA2 gene.)”
Two years ago, the Oscar-winning actress underwent preventative double mastectomy; this week, in her op-ed, Jolie shared she also preventative surgery on her reproductive organs in an effort to sidestep cancer, which claimed the lives of her mom, grandmother and aunt. Jolie explained in her op-ed that her specific BRCA1 gene mutation meant she was at 50% risk for ovarian cancer as well as 87% for breast cancer.
READ MORE: Why The Breast Cancer Gene Test Costs So Much
Kelly Osbourne’s mother, Sharon Osbourne, also had a preventative mastectomy in 2012 because she tested positive for the BRCA1 gene. “My mom made all of us get tested. I agree with this 100%,” Kelly Osbourne told “The Talk,” continuing:
“I know that one day I will eventually have to do it too because if I have children, I want to be there to bring them up. I want to be there to support them in every way I can. It’s something I applaud Angelina for because she’s bringing attention to this, and people are now going to go out and get tested for it.”
Sharon Osbourne also survived colon cancer in 2002.
READ MORE: Is Getting a Preventative Mastectomy the Best Way to Beat Cancer?
