LIFE CHANGING EVENT: MASTECTOMY THE DIAGNOSIS: You have cancer…a solemn diagnosis that no one wants to hear. If that weren’t bad enough, now the doctor is saying that both breasts need to be removed. New data show that mastectomies have increased 36% from 2005 to 2013 per the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Doctors may recommend a mastectomy to remove the cancerous breasts. Sometimes women chose to have both breasts removed because they carry the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene. THE OPTIONS: So what are your options? Doctors may recommend different treatment plans. These treatment plans depend on the doctor’s education and experience, the type.