For women with a previous breast cancer, the risk of developing another over the next 25 years are 30-40 per cent for BRCA1 and BRCA2 carriers and 15-20 per cent for non-carriers. Although Gani tested negative for the BRCA gene mutation, leaving her at average risk of contra-lateral, or opposite side, breast cancer, she still had concerns.

"Because my cancer was hormone-receptive, I wanted to remove such potential risks from my body, " she says. "The side effects, including losing all sensation in my breasts, were a small price to pay for my peace of mind. Having an immediate reconstruction made me feel semi-normal again, and when I got my nipple tattoos I felt an extra spring in my step." More women seem to be considering this additional surgery since Angelina Jolie went public as a BRCA1 gene mutation carrier in 2013, says Lindeman.

The coverage of Jolie's condition educated women to seek genetic advice, says Dr Chantel Thornton, a specialist breast cancer surgeon at Epworth Hospital in Melbourne. But it also scared many women, influencing their decision to opt for preventive mastectomy.

Elizabeth Savina, however, chose a different treatment path when she faced a similar diagnosis at the age of 35. "At first I told my surgeon to remove both breasts. Being influenced by popular media, that's what I thought women with breast cancer did.But when my surgeon explained that there was no good reason to remove a perfectly healthy breast and that I only had a 13 per cent chance of contra-lateral breast cancer, I chose to have a single mastectomy."

Three years later, Savina hasn't had a breast reconstruction, nor does she plan to. "While I was devastated when I first saw the mastectomy side post-surgery," she says, "when I turned and saw the profile of my remaining breast I thought, 'That still looks pretty hot!' Having one natural breast has been a great comfort to me."