Angelina Jolie sparks surge in breast cancer screenings

A new study shows that the actress’s decision to go public with her illness has inspired thousands of women to get tested – it's called the "Angelina Effect".

Hollywood star Angelina Jolie’s decision to make public her double mastectomy has more than doubled the number of women in Britain seeking to have genetic breast cancer tests, according to a study released on Sept 19. Researchers studying data from 21 clinics and regional genetic centres found there were 4,847 referrals for testing in June and July last year – compared to 1,981 in the same period in 2012.