American actress, Angelina Jolie, has revealed that she underwent a double mastectomy earlier this year after discovering she had an increased risk of developing breast cancer.

Ms Jolie's mother died of the disease at the age of 56 and after medical tests, she discovered that she carried a faulty version of the BRCA1 gene, which significantly increases a woman's risk of developing both breast and ovarian cancer.

In relation to breast cancer, mastectomy is currently the most effective prevention method available.

Writing in the New York Times, Ms Jolie said that while women with the faulty gene have, on average, a 65% risk of developing breast cancer, doctors estimated that she had an 87% risk of developing the disease and a 50% risk of developing cancer of the ovaries.

"Once I knew that this was my reality, I decided to be proactive and to minimise 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," the mother of six explained.

She said that April 27 marked the end of three months of medical procedures, which included the double mastectomy and reconstructive breast surgery.

"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. Cancer is still a word that strikes fear into people's hearts, producing a deep sense of powerlessness," she noted.

She said that while the decision to undergo a double mastectomy was not easy, it was one that she was ‘very happy' she made, as her chances of developing breast cancer have now fallen from 87% to less than 5%.

"I can tell my children that they don't need to fear they will lose me to breast cancer. It is reassuring that they see nothing that makes them uncomfortable. They can see my small scars and that's it. Everything else is just Mommy, the same as she always was," she explained.

She added that she does ‘not feel less of a woman' following the procedures.

"I feel empowered that I made a strong choice that in no way diminishes my femininity," she said.

Ms Jolie said that she hopes women can see they have options open to them and appealed to them, especially those with 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'.

However, she acknowledged that the cost of testing for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 faulty genes ‘remains an obstacle for many women'.

"I choose not to keep my story private because there are many women who do not know that they might be living under the shadow of cancer. It is my hope that they, too, will be able to get gene tested, and that if they have a high risk they, too, will know that they have strong options."