Two sisters, two diagnoses, and a bond that has only grown stronger through the fight of their lives. Kate and Elizabeth Singletary from Winston-Salem both faced breast cancer at the same time. They are two of a set of triplets. “I just noticed something felt not normal in my breast and kind of was feeling around, and I was like, hmm this seems odd, and it was a pretty big lump,” Kate said.
“When they initially told me that they thought it was cancer, I kind of went numb,” Kate said. “I kept nodding my head as the radiologist was talking, and I kind of blacked out what he said.” Genetic testing revealed Kate carried a gene mutation that increases her risk for bilateral breast cancer. It was a discovery that would soon affect her sister Elizabeth.
“She had the genetic testing and pretty quickly after that found out she had the CHEK2 gene mutation, and so when she found out she had that, it was kind of a no-brainer for me,” Elizabeth said. “Mine came back positive for that genetic mutation as well.” Dr. Marissa Howard-McNatt, Director of the Breast Care Center at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, emphasized that genetic testing is crucial for young women.
Both sisters are now cancer-free. They underwent treatment and had double mastectomies just five days apart, a challenge they say strengthened their bond and carried them through the toughest moments.
