The Angelina Jolie effect should at least encourage more discussion about breast cancer but hopefully won't cause women to rush off to their surgeons in a panic, according to former Labor MP and breast cancer survivor Annette Ellis.
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The worldwide talk about Jolie's decision to remove her breasts in a bid to prevent cancer comes as figures show the ACT has the highest rate of breast cancer of all the states and territories.
Jolie, 37, has revealed she had both breasts removed and then had a reconstruction with implants after genetic testing showed she had a high risk of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer.
The Hollywood star wrote that once she discovered she carried a "faulty” gene, BRCA1, she decided to be proactive and have the preventative double mastectomy earlier this year.
She said her chances of developing breast cancer post-surgery had fallen from 87 per cent to under 5 per cent.
Ms Ellis, who was a federal MP representing the ACT for 14 years before she retired at the 2010 election, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004 through a routine mammogram. She had a lumpectomy in her right breast followed by radiation. She has been cancer-free since.
Ms Ellis, who continues to have an annual mammogram and is patron of the breast cancer support group Bosom Buddies, said the experience of Jolie should raise awareness of genetic testing for breast cancer but more broadly the importance of women keeping a close eye on their health by other measures such as self-checking and mammograms.
She said anyone considering preventative surgery would obviously have to make a considered decision after consultation with health professionals.
"I don't believe it's a good idea for women to immediately flock to surgeons and say, 'I've decided to have a double mastectomy, I can't stand the pressure of worrying about'," she said.
"I do think, however, they need to take the clue, if there is any indication that a genetic test is worthwhile, that is, family histories that show that is a possibility, they should go and get that genetic testing and then make decisions accordingly with good consultation with doctors. Not just some kneejerk reaction, 'She's done it, so I'm going to do it'.
"The good and useful party of the story is that it again puts the spotlight on women looking after their health and doing all they possibly can to screen and observe and do the right things in checking themselves, at the very least, let alone the genetic testing."
Past revelations by celebrities Kylie Minogue and Belinda Emmett that they had breast cancer had increased public discussion of the disease at the time. Ms Ellis said she expected a similar reaction to Jolie's decision, albeit in a different context.
"Whenever anybody high-profile walks into this scenario, there's an immediate reaction from the community. The immediate reaction we could expect from this one is a little bit different because it's not that she's got cancer, it's because she's trying to avoid it," she said.
"I heard an expert being interviewed who said, 'This doesn't mean we need women to immediately run away and have a double mastectomy'. What it does mean if there's a proclivity in the family, let's encourage the genetic testing."
The discussion comes as women in the ACT are more likely to develop breast cancer compared to other states and territories.
A report released last year by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare found in the five years from 2004 to 2008 the age-standardised incidence rate of breast cancer for females was highest in the ACT (124 per 100,000) and lowest in the Northern Territory (84 per 100,000).
