Women with the BRCA1 mutation have a 55-65 percent chance of developing breast cancer by age 70. Those with BRCA2 have about a 45 percent chance of developing breast cancer by age 70. In comparison, women without the gene (general population) carry about a 7 percent chance of getting breast cancer by age 70. The recommendation for a woman who carries this gene is to have a preventative double mastectomy with breast reconstruction. A woman who presents with breast cancer and who is BRCA positive would have a curative mastectomy on one side and a prophylactic mastectomy on the other side. Despite the increased risk of breast cancer in patients with BRCA gene mutations, it is important to remember, that most women diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history or genetic mutation.