Angelina Jolie undergoes double mastectomy

The Hollywood star says she decided to have the procedure after doctors told her she had an 87% risk of breast cancer

Angelina Jolie today revealed that she was forced to make the agonizing decision to have a preventative double mastectomy, after tests showed she had an 87 per cent chance of contracting cancer.

The actress opened up about her traumatic experience in the New York Times, saying that she made the decision to undergo the procedure in February after learning that she is a carrier of the deadly BRCA1 cancer gene.

The 37-year-old's mother Marcheline Bertrand died at the age of 56 from ovarian cancer, which Angelina revealed she had a high chance of contracting.

But the Hollywood star has not let the life-changing operation interfere with public engagements - she visited the Republic of Congo on March 26 on humanitarian duties and attended the G8 summit in London on April 11 with William Hague, after her initial operations but before the all the procedures had finished.