Angelina Jolie applauded for cancer operation

Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie has been hailed a life-saver by charity campaigners for going public with her latest cancer surgery revelation.

The Salt star underwent an operation to remove her ovaries and Fallopian tubes last week (ends22Mar15) after a doctor detected a potential early marker of cancer during a routine test earlier this month (Mar15).

Jolie shared her story with the world on Tuesday (24Mar15) in a column for the New York Times newspaper, in which she described her surgery and revealed she is now going through the menopause.

The revelation comes just two years after she went public with her double mastectomy news in the same way, and the actress' candour about her surgery and its aftereffects has won her praise from charity bosses and health campaigners across the world.

Katherine Taylor, of Ovarian Cancer Action, tells Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper, "We applaud Angelina Jolie's decision to announce that she has had preventative surgery for ovarian cancer and are anticipating another wave of the 'Angelina Effect', which saw a dramatic increase in the number of women referred for genetic testing after Angelina announced that she had undergone a double mastectomy in 2013... If women know they have BRCA gene mutations, they can choose to take action before cancer develops, much like Angelina has. Her bravery to announce this news publicly could save lives."

Chief executive of Target Ovarian Cancer, Annwen Jones, tells Sky News, "Taking the decision to have your ovaries removed to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer is an incredibly difficult decision for any woman. Angelina Jolie's decision to tell her story is very brave, and she plays a vital role in raising awareness of ovarian cancer and the BRCA gene mutation, which significantly increases the risk of ovarian cancer."

Louise Bayne of the charity Ovacome adds, "We really welcome the news that she has successfully had the surgery and applaud her for speaking publicly and openly about it."