This news story is doing the rounds in the news but I don't know if everyone has seen the original NY times op-ed by Angelina Jolie[1]. She talks about her preemptive and precautionary double-mastectomy because she found out she was at a higher risk for breast cancer after genetic screening. I saw the news about this earlier but didn't read her op-ed until now, it's helpful to see her perspective on this.

This might be a bit personal, but a relative passed away last year who had breast cancer and the cancer had metastasized after a mastectomy and several rounds of chemo. She was a mother of 3 and a fiercely strong woman who faced it head-on, and even made preparation for her own death when the doctors said there wasn't a lot to do near the end. Anyway, It occurred to me, what her reaction or choice would have been in this case. I've also seen this issue brought up again a few times among my friends and family, it's a scary thought and a decision most women said they wouldn't want to think about until they have to - but they all would have wanted more information to make the most informed choice possible.

It is safe to say that most people today use Wikipedia as the front line of information and resource for issues like these. Now, In Ms. Jolie's case I'm sure this was a very personal decision but she prob. also had access to the best medical resources and information about the risk and the tests. I suppose with all the charities and promotion breast cancer awareness already has - with marathons, television ads, and benefits - the true value of a resource like Wikipedia might be under-utilized. Once someone hears they are at risk or they should get tested, they most likely go to Wikipedia before a doctor to read up about it.

Anyway, I wanted to do something in this regard. I suppose it's needless to say that this is a bit personal for me. I have lurked on this list since it was founded, and besides occasional interrupts, just observed. This seems like a worthy issue to devote time to if anyone wants to join me. I still can't think of a proper way to organize this - a wikiproject doesn't seem right or if something like this already exists, but I'm not sure. I saw the related articles about the subject, some of them need cleaning up and revising the hard medical facts in to a coherent voice - generally simplifying the language. I also wanted to see if I can organize things better and put all the resources on a single page, with pictures and templates on the articles to guide people directly to a centralized resource point. I thought maybe more veteran editors here like Risker, SlimVirgin or PeteF can give some advice on how to go about organizing the information and making a start.