A BRAVE 27-year-old woman has chosen to have a double mastectomy after finding out she has an 86 per cent risk of getting breast cancer .

Katie Mumford decided to get tested to see if she carried the BRCA2 gene mutation, which increases the risk of a woman getting breast cancer, after her mum, Susan Mumford, and halfsister, Melissa Hume, battled the disease.

The former Boswells School pupil was told she had an 86 per cent chance of developing breast cancer throughout her lifetime and, after long discussions with surgeons and counsellors, will undergo a preventative mastectomy later this year.

Katie, who lived in Springfield for 18 years, said: “About four years ago my mum was diagnosed, aged 50, and then my half-sister was diagnosed, age d 30, which is obviously really young.

“She was told the disease wa s genetic, so my younger sister, Charlotte, and I decided to ge t tested and found out we both had the BRCA2 gene .

“The genetic counsellors can’t tell you what to do, they just give you options, but I’ve decided to have the preventative surgery.

"Charlotte is only 24, so will wait a few years before deciding.”

THE BRCA2 gene mutation is often called the “Jolie gene” after actress Angelina Jolie, inset, had a double mastectomy after finding out she had the gene.

The BRCA2 and BRCA1 gene mutations create a greater risk of developing cancer because the cells’ ability to repair DNA damage, which can cause a cell to become cancerous, may be impaired.

The operation, during which surgeons also plan to reconstruct Katie’s breasts, will take her risk level of developing breast cancer down to about four per cent – lower than that of the general population, which is about 12 per cent.

Although the operation is daunting, Katie, who now lives in Great Easter, encourages other women in the same position to be positive.

She said: “Because of my genetic risk, I feel like I’m under attack fro m my own body, like my boobs are trying to kill me.

“I’ve been told the operation could be as soon as September, so it feels more real now than before, but I’m able to be positive about it too.

“Yes, the situation is pretty rubbish because I’m going to have this major surgery, but afterwards I won’t have to live with the risk of getting breast cancer, which is fantastic.

“I want other women to realise although it’s difficult and frightening, it’s not all doom and gloom.”

Keep an eye out here for Katie's blog, 'My boobs are trying to kill me: Katie's BRCA story' as she continues her journey.