Angelina Jolie's mastectomy raised awareness, not knowledge
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- Published on Thursday, 19 December 2013 12:03
- Written by UPI
Widespread awareness of Angelina Jolie's preventive double mastectomy did not translate into increased knowledge of breast cancer risk, U.S. researchers say. Jolie heightened awareness about breast cancer when she announced in a New York Times op-ed she had undergone a preventive double mastectomy, but researchers at the University of Maryland School of Public Health and the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health revealed widespread awareness of Jolie's story did not translate into increased understanding of breast cancer risk. The survey of more than 2,500 U.S. adults found three-quarters were aware of Jolie's story, but fewer than 10 percent could correctly answer questions about the BRCA gene mutation that Jolie carries and the typical person's risk of developing breast cancer. Though very rare, women with harmful mutations in either of two genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2, have a risk of breast cancer that is about five times the normal risk, and a risk of ovarian cancer that is about 10 to 30 times normal. The average woman's risk of getting breast cancer over her lifetime if she does not have a BRCA mutation is between 5 percent and 15 percent. "Ms. Jolie's health story was prominently featured throughout the media and was a chance to mobilize health communicators and educators to teach about the nuanced issues around genetic testing, risk, and prophylactic surgery," lead author Dina Borzekowski of the University of Maryland School of Public Health's Department of Behavior and Community Health.
"It feels like it was a missed opportunity to educate the public about a complex but rare health situation." Additionally, exposure to Jolie's story was associated with greater confusion, rather than clarity, about the relationship between a family history of cancer and increased cancer risk. About half incorrectly thought that a lack of family history of cancer was associated with a lower than average personal risk of cancer, and among respondents who had at least one close relative affected by cancer, those who were aware of Jolie's story were less likely than those who were unaware of her story to estimate their own cancer risk as higher than average -- 39 percent vs. 59 percent. "Since many more women without a family history develop breast cancer each year than those with, it is important that women don't feel falsely reassured by a negative family history," study co-author Dr. Debra Roter, director of the Center for Genomic Literacy and Communication at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said.
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Brad Pitt: Celebrating 50 years
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- Published on Wednesday, 18 December 2013 19:58
- Written by CNN
As one of the premiere members of Hollywood's A-list, Brad Pitt has graced the cover of many a magazine, from People to GQ to W.And now, as he celebrates his 50th birthday, he's reached a new milestone: AARP The Magazine.The organization concocted a special cover in celebration of Pitt's 50th on December 18, welcoming him to their neck of the woods."Acclaimed Actor, Producer, Humanitarian and Family man, Mr. Pitt Joins the Club," the cover's headline reads.But, as is probably the case with his award-winning wine, Pitt's only getting better with age. The star managed to turn around the beleaguered zombie thriller "World War Z" in time for summer blockbuster season, and was rewarded with strong reviews and enough box office success to spawn a sequel.This fall, he's had another hit with the acclaimed -- and awards season front-runner -- "12 Years A Slave," which he helped produce and also has a small role in.Off set, Pitt told Esquire magazine earlier this year that he was completely content as he headed toward the big 5-0."I have a handful of close friends and I have my family and I haven't known life to be any happier," he said. "I'm making things. I just haven't known life to be any happier."
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Madame Tussauds unveil waxworks of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie
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- Published on Friday, 20 December 2013 10:14
- Written by Standard
They're the biggest couple in Hollywood - so much so that they even have their own hybrid name.But now Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have been immortalised in wax.The film stars, known as Brangelina, have been honoured with up-to-date models at Madame Tussauds in London.The real Brad and Angelina Engaged: the real Brad and Angelina Jolie, 38, appears in a blue silk ball gown with a high slit revealing her right leg, in homage to the dress she wore at the Oscars in 2012.An image of the original dress went viral, with Jolie's right leg becoming the subject of several Twitter accounts.Meanwhile her husband-to-be Pitt, with whom she has six children, is dressed in a sharp black suit.Angelina's dress shows off her right leg, which became a viral sensation at the 2012 Oscars Flashing the flesh: Angelina's dress shows off her right leg, which became a viral sensation at the 2012 Oscars.The waxworks have been unveiled ahead of Fight Club star Pitt's 50th birthday tomorrow.The stylist checks Brad's hair Power couple: the stylist checks Brad's hair.The couple, who have been together for eight years, are rumoured to be planning four wedding celebrations in Australia, Los Angeles, the Bahamas and France.
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Angelina Jolie struggles in the Australian heat as temperatures soar to nearly 40C
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- Published on Monday, 16 December 2013 04:49
- Written by Daily Mail
With temperatures hitting highs of nearly 40C in Australia it’s no surprise that Angelina Jolie doesn’t like to be parted from her favourite straw hat.The star, who has been spotted on the set of her new movie Unbroken wearing the wide-brimmed hat several times, looked like she was struggling in the heat down under.Wearing a black vest and a black pair of skinny jeans the 38-year-old might want to think about adjusting her outfit to co-ordinate with her hat – and keep her cool.Hot hot hot! Angelina Jolie was out in the Australian heat wearing a straw hat.It's a scorcher: The star looked like she was struggling a little in the beating midday heat.The actress was spotted walking around the set of Unbroken – a movie she is directing while her fiancé Brad Pitt is shooting Fury in England. With an all-black outfit on she had her hair hanging loosely in large waves until she took the time to plait it to one side, keeping her cooler in the heat.The star wore aviator sunglasses as she strolled around the set where earlier in the week she had been spotted directing dozens of actors in a scene based around a train station.Unbroken is drama that covers the life of Olympic runner Louis Zamperini who was taken prisoner by Japanese forces during World War II.Garrett Hedlund, Jack O'Connell and Alex Russell star in the epic drama and the Coen brothers worked on the script.The movie, which is expected to be released on Christmas day in 2014, has been shooting Down Under for the past two months.Earlier in the week not only did the director chuck her customary black attire in favour of more cheerful colours, but she also stopped to take selfies with young fans and even told the crowd, 'G'day everyone' as she smiled happily.Great fans: Earlier that week the star, in her new favourite hat, took selfies with her adoring fans.The set was at an old train station in Australia's Werris Creek, New South Wales; the actress was seen talking to her film's actors who were dressed in vintage dresses and suits.At one point the actress turned director - who last was behind the camera for In The Land Of Blood And Honey - turned to a sea of fans and said, 'Do you like all the 1920s stuff?' according to an onlooker.Maybe it was a visit from hunky long-term-partner Brad Pitt that boosted her spirits, as the pair were seen taking to a yacht on Sydney Harbour later that day.
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Angelina Jolie 'Potential' Witness In Phone Hacking Lawsuit
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- Published on Monday, 16 December 2013 04:42
- Written by Huffington post
Angelina Jolie could be the newest witness in Britain's ongoing phone hacking trial.Jolie's stunt double, Eunice Huthart, sued News Corp. in June claiming that the newspaper had hacked her phone and intercepted her voice mail messages. Among those messages were confidential conversations with Jolie, Huthart alleged.She listed Jolie among her "potential witnesses" in the lawsuit, according to the Hollywood Reporter on Friday.Huthart told THR that she believes the newspaper's interest in her "derived entirely from her personal and professional relationships to celebrities, such as Jolie and Brad Pitt, which are a product of her Hollywood-based career." Jolie could potentially testify to defend Huthart's claim that her "discretion and trustworthiness were compromised" by the hacking, THR said on Friday.Jolie's name first emerged in trial in July 2012, when she and actor Brad Pitt were identified by prosecutors as victims in the phone hacking scheme. Huthart cited two stories that she alleged used information from her private talks with Jolie.Huthart was Jolie's stunt double in movies such as "Beyond Borders" and "Tomb Raider 2." She said she lived with Jolie earlier in 2004, 2005 while the film, "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" was in production, around the same time she noticed that she was not receiving all of her phone messages.
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