Jolie Mural Appears in Milan to Mark 'World Breast Cancer Day'

Jolie Underwent Preventive Double Mastectomy in 2013 Due to Family History of Breast and Ovarian Cancer
Hereditary Breast Cancer Accounts for 5-10% of All Breast Cancers
Palombo: "Creating Jolie Mural to Honor Women's Strength and Courage"

Jolie had a strong family history of breast and ovarian cancer, with her mother passing away from ovarian cancer and her aunt from breast cancer, so she underwent preventive bilateral mastectomy in 2013. Photo by AP Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Bang Je-il] A mural depicting the mastectomy scars of famous American actress Angelina Jolie (47) without any concealment has appeared in a square in Milan, Italy.

On the 19th (local time), according to the Italian news agency ANSA, this mural titled "Love Yourself" was created by Italian pop artist Alessandro Palombo (48).

Palombo, who has lived in Milan for over 30 years and is well known for his satirical expression techniques that sharply critique social and cultural phenomena, painted Hollywood actress Jolie?who comes to mind when thinking of breast cancer?on the exterior wall of a building near San Babila Square in Milan to mark the World Breast Cancer Day designated by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Jolie underwent preventive bilateral mastectomy in 2013 due to a strong family history of breast and ovarian cancer, with her mother having died of ovarian cancer and her aunt of breast cancer.

Hereditary breast cancer accounts for 5-10% of all breast cancer cases. Compared to common breast cancer, it tends to occur at an earlier age and can simultaneously develop with other types of cancer such as ovarian cancer, making it a particularly feared disease.

At the time of her surgery, Jolie revealed in an interview with The New York Times, "I did not want to go through the same situation as my mother, who passed away at 56 after battling cancer for over ten years." She added, "Although I had my breasts and ovaries removed, I am still a woman, and I believe the decision I made for myself and my family was justified," expressing her conviction that "my children will not have to say 'Mom died of breast cancer.'"

In fact, Jolie's choice influenced women worldwide. The number of BRCA genetic tests for hereditary breast cancer and preventive mastectomy and oophorectomy procedures has sharply increased.

Palombo explained that he created the mural of Jolie, with her clearly visible mastectomy scars, to honor women's strength and courage.

In 2015, Palombo depicted the breast cancer theme through a series of works titled "Survivors," showing Disney princesses such as Snow White, Jasmine, Cinderella, Ariel, Aurora, and Tiana with mastectomy scars.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.