Miss District of Columbia plans to undergo a preventive double mastectomy to reduce her risk of breast cancer, which killed her mother and grandmother.

WSJ: Brooklyn Resident Wins Miss America Crown

Meanwhile, CNN anchor Zoraida Sambolin announced Tuesday she has breast cancer and is getting a double mastectomy.

WSJ: Angelina Jolie says she had double mastectomy

But that preview provides a bit of context for a big controversy relating to the news, published in the New York Times on Tuesday, that the actress Angelina Jolie has opted to have a double mastectomy, without having been diagnosed with breast cancer.

BBC: Letter from America: Buy and cell

The team, led by radiation oncologist Benjamin Smith, said that was nearly double the 2.2% of women who received whole-breast irradiation.

WSJ: New Scrutiny for Popular Breast-Cancer Treatment

However, authors of the study indicate that a double mastectomy may make sense for women with a strong family history of breast or ovarian cancer, or for women who've tested positive for genetic mutations in the BRCA genes.

CNN: Why more women are choosing double mastectomies

These women have double the risk of the aggressive and hard-to-treat hormone-negative breast cancers.

NPR: Study: Breast-Feeding Decreases Cancer Risk

In 1992 her breast cancer came roaring back only two years after she'd had a double mastectomy.

FORBES: Magazine Article