In a study published in The BMJ, researchers examined the effect the 2013 op-ed by actress Angelina Jolie had on BRCA testing.
Ms. Jolie detailed her decision to undergo a preventative mastectomy after testing positive for a mutation in the BRCA1 gene, which increases an individual's susceptibility to breast cancer and ovarian cancer, in an article published in The New York Times.
Researchers studied 9,532,836 women between the ages of 18 and 64 in the U.S. and examined the number of women who opted to undergo BRCA testing in the 15 business days before and after the May 2013 article was published. Researchers then compared the results with the change in the same period in 2012.
Here are five things to know from the study.
1. Daily BRCA test rates increased to 1.13 tests per 100,000 women in the 15 days after the NYT published the editorial, up from 0.71 tests per 100,000 women in the 15 days before publication.
2. Average monthly test rates increased 37 percent from 15.6 tests per 100,000 women in January 2013 through April 2013 to 21.3 tests per 100,000 women during May 2013 to December 2013.
3. Researchers did not see an increase in mastectomy rates in the overall population after the article was published.
4. Additional testing induced by the editorial did not identify new BRCA mutations requiring preventive mastectomies for most participants.
5. Researchers concluded well-delivered announcements by high-profile figures may be a low-cost and effective way to draw attention to particular health concerns, and may influence decision making. However, researchers found that such announcements may not effectively target the populations that would benefit most from additional testing.