( CNN ) Two years after she underwent a double mastectomy to cut her cancer risk , actress and U.N. envoy Angelina Jolie has had surgery to remove her ovaries and fallopian tubes for the same reason , she wrote in The New York Times on Tuesday . Jolie , 39 , carries a mutation of the BRCA1 gene , which sharply increases her risk of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer . Her mother was diagnosed with the latter at age 49 and died seven years later . In her New York Times op-ed Tuesday , Jolie said she had been planning the latest preventive surgery for some time . Doctors : Angelina Jolie did the right thing . But a blood test that revealed worrying markers accelerated the process , the Hollywood star said . Her doctor told her he wanted her to see a surgeon immediately to check her ovaries . `` I went through what I imagine thousands of other women have felt , '' she wrote . `` I told myself to stay calm , to be strong , and that I had no reason to think I would n't live to see my children grow up and to meet my grandchildren . '' Her husband , Oscar-winning actor Brad Pitt , was on a plane back from France within hours , she wrote . `` 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 , '' she wrote . Further tests came back negative for tumors , Jolie wrote . `` There was still a chance of early stage cancer , but that was minor compared with a full-blown tumor . To my relief , I still had the option of removing my ovaries and fallopian tubes and I chose to do it . '' Jolie stresses that not all women with the same BRCA1 gene mutation should feel they must automatically leap to surgery , but she urges them to explore their options and take control . Her family history -- she lost her grandmother and aunt to cancer , as well as her mother -- combined with the gene mutation meant that in her case , the removal of her ovaries and fallopian tubes seemed the best course . While not as complex as the mastectomy surgery , its effects are more severe , Jolie said , since it puts a woman into forced menopause . She must now take estrogen and progesterone in order to keep a hormonal balance . She will not be able to have more children and foresees physical changes , she said . But Jolie acknowledged she was lucky because she already has a family , unlike some women who face this difficult decision . `` It is not possible to remove all risk , and the fact is I remain prone to cancer , '' she said . `` I will look for natural ways to strengthen my immune system . I feel feminine , and grounded in the choices I am making for myself and my family . I know my children will never have to say , 'Mom died of ovarian cancer . ' '' Opinion : I know how Jolie feels . The actress has been in a relationship with Pitt since the mid-2000s . They have three biological and three adopted children . She wrote two years ago that her preventive double mastectomy had cut her risk of developing breast cancer from 87 % to 5 % . Jolie serves as a special envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and has visited refugee camps around the world . She is also a vocal global campaigner on the issue of sexual violence against women .
she says she 'd been planning to have the surgery for some years but poor results speeded the process . She urges other women at high risk of developing cancer to explore their options and take control . saying : ` ` I know my children will never have to die , ' she died of ovarian cancer ' ''