Two years after writing about her choice to have a preventive double mastectomy, actress Angelina Jolie has expressed her thoughts about having her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed in an op-ed for The New York Times.

In a piece titled ‘Angelina Jolie Pitt: Diary of a Surgery’, the 39-year-old reveals how she was forced into taking action after some alarming test results.

“Two weeks ago I got a call from my doctor with blood-test results,” Jolie wrote.

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“‘There are a number of inflammatory markers that are elevated, and taken together they could be a sign of early cancer’. I took a pause. ‘CA-125 has a 50 to 75 percent chance of missing ovarian cancer at early stages,’ he said. He wanted me to see the surgeon immediately to check my ovaries.

“I went through what I imagine thousands of other women have felt. I told myself to stay calm, to be strong, and that I had no reason to think I wouldn’t live to see my children grow up and to meet my grandchildren.”

Angelina Jolie Pitt with husband Brad Pitt. Photo: Getty

Jolie said she called her husband Brad Pitt, who was on a plane from France in hours.

“The beautiful thing about such moments in life is that there is so much clarity. You know what you live for and what matters. It is polarizing, and it is peaceful,” Jolie wrote.

“That same day I went to see the surgeon, who had treated my mother. I last saw her the day my mother passed away, and she teared up when she saw me: ‘You look just like her.’ I broke down. But we smiled at each other and agreed we were there to deal with any problem, so ‘let’s get on with it’.”

She added: “Nothing in the examination or ultrasound was concerning. I was relieved that if it was cancer, it was most likely in the early stages.

“If it was somewhere else in my body, I would know in five days. I passed those five days in a haze, attending my children’s soccer game, and working to stay calm and focused.”

The mother of six said she returned clear follow-up tests but was given the option of having her ovaries removed in an attempt to lessen future risk – an option she took.

“Regardless of the hormone replacements I’m taking, I am now in menopause,” Jolie wrote.

“I will not be able to have any more children, and I expect some physical changes. But I feel at ease with whatever will come, not because I am strong but because this is a part of life. It is nothing to be feared.”

Jolie has previously spoken about having a double mastectomy in 2013 after discovering she carried a mutation in the BRCA1 gene, giving her an estimated 87 per cent risk of breast cancer and a 50 per cent risk of ovarian cancer.

Jolie, who lost her mother, grandmother and aunt to cancer, swore to document her experiences for the sake of other women experiencing the same thing.

“It is not easy to make these decisions,” the actress wrote. “But it is possible to take control and tackle head-on any health issue. You can seek advice, learn about the options and make choices that are right for you. Knowledge is power.”

Hands up to Angelina Jolie had her overies and fallopain tubes taken out to stop cancer shes a brave woman

— HaileyAndersonMUA (@HaileyBAnderson) March 24, 2015

MT @FacingOurRisk: Powerful words from Angelina on having a BSO. Thanks Angelina for helping to inform again. #BRCA http://t.co/vOJ3S2NPX8 — Susan Feinberg (@SFeinbergFStech) March 24, 2015

Angelina Jolie announced Tuesday that she can no longer have children. http://t.co/XTcGy5FC6K pic.twitter.com/TR8SvI9yHr

— FOX8 WGHP (@myfox8) March 24, 2015