It's been a big week for something near and dear to moms' hearts. Literally. Actress Angelina Jolie set off a firestorm of debate this week over testing for the BRCA gene, aka the "breast cancer gene," when she announced she'd not only been tested, but she'd undergone a double mastectomy too.

It's a move some are calling brave, others stupid, while still others have been empowered by the celebrity mom's announcement to come out and talk about their feelings about whether or not women really need to know what could happen to their bodies decades into the future.

So should moms be rushing to their doctors, begging to be tested so they know if they need to prepare their kids for the worst?

The world was shocked yesterday when Angelina Jolie revealed that she had had a double mastectomy because she had an 87 percent chance of getting cancer due to being a carrier of the BRCA1 gene. Her mother, Marcheline Bertrand, died at age 56 of ovarian cancer, and Angelina will likely have her ovaries removed next. She's said she wants to make sure that she is around for her six children and they don't need to fear losing her within the next decade or so. You would think that any woman going through such a thing would bring out people's compassionate side, and it did in many. But there was the sadly predictable cawings from the haterade crowd. They are the ones who immediately began making breast jokes. Who actually blamed Angelina's cancer on her affair with Brad Pitt.

Angelina Jolie's story of her decision to undergo a prophylactic double mastectomy has captured the attention of the entire country, and she's being applauded for her bravery and candor. Most would agree it seems as though she's been through enough, but there's another challenge ahead ... People reports she is also planning to undergo surgery to remove her ovaries.

She's made the difficult decision for the same reason she chose to have her breast surgery: As she's a carrier of the BRCA1 gene, her doctors say she still faces a high risk of developing ovarian cancer, which her doctors estimate at 50 percent.

And yet, as brave and wise and inspiring as her decision appears to be, it's also a controversial one.

When Angelina Jolie confessed in her New York Times op-ed that she's had a prophylactic mastectomy, she felt it necessary to give a shout-out to partner Brad Pitt. And it might be the most romantic revelation we've heard from the intensely private but clearly passionate couple. 

She writes ...

While Angelina Jolie's health has often been the focal point of tabloid tongue-clucking, the superficial stories have never delved into how her mother Marcheline Bertrand fought cancer for almost a decade and died at 56. Or the fact that she has wondered about her own risk of the disease. But Angelina's moving op-ed in The New York Times entitled "My Medical Choice" is a game-changer.

The famous mother of six has revealed that she is a carrier of the "faulty"/mutant gene, BRCA1, which significantly increases a woman's risk of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer. And as a result, she chose to have a double mastectomy, which she managed to keep a secret -- until now.

And why now?

Sure, we all joke about how necessary that morning cup of coffee is, but a new study suggests that for breast cancer survivors, it could actually be vital. According to a study from Lund University in Sweden, drinking two cups of coffee a day could stop breast cancer from recurring in recovering patients when combined with the anti-cancer drug tamoxifen. Scientists actually found that the short-term stimulating effect of the coffee enhances the drug.

And not just a little effect, either. Apparently patients in the study who took the pill along with two or more cups of coffee daily reported less than HALF the rate of cancer recurrence. Yes, you read that right. Less than half.

Whether you have a history of breast cancer in your family or not, this is the kind of thing that can give every woman hope.

Amanda Seyfried may look like the picture perfect, America's sweetheart type who could never in a million years have a gripe about her body. But she hasn't always felt comfortable in her own skin, she recently revealed in Allure magazine. While promoting her upcoming biopic, Lovelace -- in which she stars as porn star Linda Lovelace -- Amanda admitted she used to struggle with body image as a teen. Especially when it came to her D-cup breasts, which, since losing weight, have gone down to a "small C."

Amanda confesses, "When I look back, I'm like, 'Why did I always give myself such a hard time?' Nobody gave me sh-t about it except me.'" But interestingly, playing Lovelace helped her make peace with her body overall ...

As women, we're always told how often we need to be getting mammograms or doing breast self-exams to stay on alert for breast cancer. And of course these tests are invaluable, but every now and then, the first warning of the disease could come from woman's best friend. Such was the case for Marian Cooper, who knew something was up when her 6-year-old pug, Flo, was fixated on her right breast. Cooper explains, "Flo kept nudging me and digging at me -- no matter how many times I put her on the floor, she would always climb back up. I thought she was just being annoying, but without her I'd probably be dead."

That's because when Marian finally decided to perform a self-exam, she realized she had a lump. Which turned out to be a grade 3 malignant tumor, doctors confirmed. Wow.