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In the months after actress and activist Angelina Jolie told the world that she had undergone a preventive double mastectomy because of her increased risk for breast cancer, the number of women who were referred for genetic counseling doubled, a Canadian study now shows.

The findings were presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncologyโ€™s Breast Cancer Symposium in San Francisco.

To determine the effect that Jolieโ€™s brave announcement had on women who may be at risk for breast cancer, researchers evaluated the number of genetic counseling referrals at their center 6 months before and 6 months after Jolie made her announcement in May 2013. While 487 women were referred for testing in the 6 months before the Jolie announcement, 916 were referred in the 6 months after it. Of the 916 referred after the Jolie news, 437 qualified for genetic testing. The study was funded by Sanofi-Aventis.