'I had a double mastectomy after a gene test'

Gail Hardy says she wanted to "take control of her life" by having preventative surgeries

A woman who had a double mastectomy and her ovaries removed after a gene test put her at a high risk of cancers says she wanted to be "the author of my own story without the shadow of cancer hanging over me".

Gail Hardy's mother died of ovarian cancer and her paternal grandmother and aunt were both treated for breast cancer.

The 49-year-old tested positive for a faulty BRCA2 gene - and said she was determined to take control of her life by undergoing the preventative surgery which cuts her risk of cancer by 70%.

"Having to face up to my family's legacy of lost lives was terrifying but knowledge is power," Ms Hardy, from Melling, Sefton in Merseyside, said.

Ms Hardy took action after a conversation at a funeral with a cousin who told her an aunt had tested positive for a faulty version of the BRCA2 gene.

About 70% of women with faulty BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes will develop breast cancer by the age of 80, according to Cancer Research UK.

Knowledge about carrying the faulty gene can help people manage their cancer risk by choosing to have preventative treatment or attend screenings to check for cancer earlier and more often.

Gail Hardy (right) with her mum, Sandra who died of ovarian cancer

Ms Hardy had preventative surgery to remove her ovaries which immediately put her into the menopause.

Then a year ago, she had a double mastectomy - an eight hour operation involving a team of 10 medics removing both her breasts and reconstructive surgery.

"Finding out I have a faulty BRCA2 gene and having to face up to my family's legacy of lost lives was terrifying. But knowledge is power.

"Having both breasts and my ovaries removed was a very personal choice."

She said: "I wanted to be the author of my own story, without the shadow of cancer hanging over me."

'Life-changing'

The mother-of-two who works in insurance said her sons planned to undergo genetic testing when they were older.

Ms Hardy is now looking forward to marrying her partner, Justin, next year.

"None of the rest of my life, getting married or buying a new house would be thinkable without the two bouts of surgery. It's been life-changing."

Ms Hardy credits Cancer Research UK with helping to rewrite her future after its researchers uncovered BRCA2 in the mid-1990s and is backing the charity's drive to fund more life-saving advances.

Gail Hardy is looking forward to marrying her partner, Justin, "without the shadow of cancer hanging over me"

One of the best-known cancer indicators known to science, the landmark discovery has been credited with saving and improving thousands of lives including leading to the development of targeted cancer drugs.

She said its "decades of revolutionary research have given me choices my relatives sadly didn't have".

Jane Bullock, from Cancer Research UK, said it had helped double cancer survival in the UK over the past 50 years - but there was still lots of work to be done "to help more people like Gail live longer, better lives free from the fear of cancer".