[alanctgardner2]

I don't think she did it to be hip - I'm sure she had many doctors advising her, and she underwent many tests before making her decision. But it was heavily publicised, and it set a dangerous precedent that people with less access to medical resources will send away this $100 test, see "cancer risk", and start pushing for unnecessary surgery.

[RobAtticus]

I mean, it is major surgery. There is a pretty big difference from somebody cutting out gluten from their diet and somebody getting surgery. If I decide one day I'm allergic to gluten, I can stop eating it without consulting a doctor. Similarly, as the sibling comment mentions, if McCarthy thinks vaccines cause autism she can stop getting them for her and her children without consulting a doctor. Sure, maybe some women will start pushing for unnecessary surgery, but they will also have to find a doctor who is willing to accommodate them and perform the surgery in the absence of evidence (or perform it based on a website).

It just doesn't jive with me that they are remotely the same thing. I think Jolie is a particularly poor example here and serves as a distraction for an otherwise decent point.