October, Lemons and Jolie: Do They Have Something in Common?

Oscar-winning actress Angelina Jolie, 38, who was in a high-risk breast cancer category had a double mastectomy. Breast cancer was the disease that killed her mother at age 56.

Jolie's double mastectomy led to a surge in breast cancer awareness known as the "Angelina effect" by Time magazine for the May 27 cover story. Since then the breast cancer awareness became synonymous with Jolie. But there are some other things that October, lemons and Jolie have in common.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Lemons are the stars in the innovative award-winning international advertisement campaign educating women about recognizing the signs of breast cancer depicted through lemons. Jolie announced in a New York Times op-ed earlier this year:

"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."

"My doctors estimated that I had an 87 percent risk of breast cancer and a 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer, although the risk is different in every woman."

"Only a fraction of breast cancers result from an inherited gene mutation. Those with a defect in BRCA1 have a 65 percent risk of getting it, on average."

"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 preventive 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."

"On April 27, I finished the three months of medical procedures that the mastectomies involved. During that time I have been able to keep this private and to carry on with my work."

"But I am writing about it now because I hope that other women can benefit from my experience. Life comes with many challenges. The ones that should not scare us are the ones we can take on and take control of," Jolie wrote in her article titled, 'My Medical Choice' published in New York Times op-ed on May 14.

Watch the Angelina Jolie and breast cancer prevention and awareness in the video below:

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