Christina Applegate goes through surgery to prevent cancer

Cast member Christina Applegate attends the premiere of the film "Cats & Dogs, The Revenge of Kitty Galore" in Los Angeles July 25, 2010.REUTERS/Phil McCarten

Hollywood star, Christina Applegate is known for having survived breast cancer in the past. Recently, she had taken preventive measures to ensure that such a thing does not happen once again in other parts of her body. The American actress had undergone another round of surgery where she had her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed.

In a report by Page Six, the operation took place in the latter part of September. The 45-year-old actress stated that ovarian cancer had claimed the life of her cousin back in 2008, the same year Applegate had a mastectomy. Applegate explained that since the condition could be hereditary, she did not want to experience another form of cancer which is why she had gone under the knife once again. From the looks of it, the operation was successful.

According to Shape, even if doctors had only found a sizable lump in only one of Applegate's breasts, she decided to have both of them removed anyway. This is probably due to Applegate having her BRCA test, and was tested positive for the BRCA1 gene, which meant that the risk for experiencing breast cancer was very high. The decision for a double mastectomy was probably for the best to avoid further complications in the future.

Not only does the BRCA1 gene increase the risk of breast cancer, but for ovarian cancer as well. After the surgeries Applegate has undergone, her focus has shifted toward her 6-year-old daughter, Sadie. In a report by People, the likelihood of Sadie encountering these health problems in the future are quite high as well, since there is an assumption that the BRCA gene can be inherited. However, since Sadie is still young, there are no immediate concerns as of now.

It is possible for technological medical advancements in the next few decades that could provide definitive solutions to these kinds of problems. Still, any mother would go through great lengths to ensure their children's safety.