Any identical twins out there where one has been diagnosed???

Frankie_

Just wondering if there are any identical twins here where one has been diagnosed with bc and later the other twin was also diagnosed. Since identical twins share identical DNA I was wondering if there are many twins here on this site. I am an identical twin and was recently diagnosed in Septemeber 2009 and currently undergoing treatments. I worry about my twin since she is at "high risk". If you are a twin please feel free to chime in to share your story.

Frankie

Edit-For Spelling

wallycat

I am a fraternal twin.

My sister is still cancer free---and I hope she remains so!

apple

nothing like a set of beautiful twins!

you can use the search function in the upper left hand corner... 2,400 posts came up with the word twin in it.

Joviangeldeb

Hi. I have identical twin sisters.  One was diagnosed with breast cancer, and so far the other twin has not, but they're keeping a close eye.

Deb

BrendaLea

I also have an identical twin and fortunately she does not have bc. My onc recommended that I get the BRCA gene testing because of both my age (31 when dx'd) and because of my twin. Thankfully I tested negative. Had I tested positive they were going to advise her to remove both breasts and ovaries. She now has a mammo ever year and with any luck she will remain cancer free.

Brenda

KinAZ

I have cousins who are identical twins....We lost Bonnie to bc in 1995....Connie remains cancer free.  I think this is a very interesting subject...

best wishes to all

lovemyfamilysomuch

My beautiful twin sister carried me through treatment and I pray to God that she never have bc.  It scares me to even think about it

leaf

This study looked at identical twin pairs and took skin flaps from the non-affected to help reconstruct the affected twin who had a mastectomy. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18827632

This study thought mammographic density had a heritable basis in 66% of pairs. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19336563

This study looked at age at puberty in identical twins and breast cancer risk.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12788995

Kate0574

I think that another factor that is inportant is if there is a family history, both of my parents are twins so when I was diagnosed that was a question we asked... just out of curiosity.... and my oncologist said that any sibling would have the same chance whether twin or not if there was a family history or no family history. hope this makes sense...

ssanders

My twin was just diagnosed. We are Identical and I do not have breast cancer. We are 46.

heatherbless

hi frankie--I am also an identical twin.  I was diagnosed with breast cancer at 41 and we also have the BRCA2 gene.  My twin sister was then diagnosed with ampullary cancer at age 42--which was really kind of unique.  It has been a very rough year.  This is a great topic though and I would love to talk to any identical twins.  best, heather

PinkME

I am an identical twin.  I had dbl mastectomy on 10-08-2008.  HER-2 positive. Doing well. Completed chemo then herception 10-30-2009.  My twin is very worried and has decided to have some genetic testing done. She is looking at BRAC and I suggested OncoVue.  I know she is high risk because of ME if nothing else.  Does anyone else have this issue with her twin?  My twin has not been diagnosed, but she feels it is inevitable.

PinkME

My twin sister just took BRACA tests and is clear. She is very relieved. She keeps up with here mammagramas and is glad we don't have dramarama around breast cancer this year!  ME too!

I am feeling much much better.  I haven't started the lastest neratinib test group, but would like to start in the fall.  Just had a second CT scan on my chest, where we are watching a spot near the apex of my right lung. Radiologist thinks it is a scar.  Hope so. Have to follow up every 3 months or so. I have had MRI, bone scan, xray, rib series, and CT in past few months. Nothing shows except on old CT of chest.  Maybe it will be gone!  Should get news today or tomorow.  Bye for now.  Nice and cool in Dallas.

LynneButler

Dear Frankie,

 My identical twin just had bilateral surgery. Because the reestimate of my lifetime risk is now 29% (according to Tyrer-Cuzick) I will get annual screening MRIs in addition to the usual annual mammography. She and I have very dense breasts. The 2 cm lump in her right breast did not show up on a screening mammogram. Her cancer was suspected when a screening mammogram showed calcifications in the left breast. 

 I appreciate the fact that my twin urged me to have my risk estimated. Screening MRIs are reimbursed by insurance companies if your lifetime risk is 20-25% or higher. (Note that when I called the Bryn Mawr Comprehensive Breast Center, I was told my lifetime risk was only 17.7%. But that was using the Gail model, which doesn't take into account that my twin had bilateral disease. Among the 4 widely-used risk assessment models, only Tyrer-Cuzick seems to take into account information about whether the disease in a first-degree relative is bilateral or not.)

 Lynne

anneb

Dear Frankie,

Thank you for starting this forum.  I thought about finding twins in the same boat because no others folks will fully understand what we're going through other than fellow twins.  I wish everyone of you (who are undergoing or have undergone the same problem) good health and more good years to spend with the only person who shared everything with you since you were conceived.  I wish the same for me and my twin as well.

I'm an identical twin, and my twin sister was diagnosed with right-breast cancer in 2005.  She underwent chemo for a year followed with a unilateral mastectomy.  She was recently diagnosed again this July with left-breast cancer with metastatic liver cancer.  Her oncologist said her liver functions aren't affected yet so far, and am just praying for a miracle that she'll be healed. 

I haven't been checked for breast cancer lately due to health insurance reasons.  I had mammogram x1 in 2006, which showed negative result. 

We're 38 years old.

chrishat

hi,

i'm not a twin, but i have a good friend who is an identical twin. she was diagnosed 15 years ago with IDC and underwent a mastectomy, chemo and radiation. she is fine, doing great today and NED, and her twin has never had cancer. they have not done the brca testing.

lyndabc

yes - I lost my identical twin 2 years ago after a long battle of breast cancer.  I guess I thought I was untouchable until this week, I just received the news that I have breast cancer.  Its in the very very early stage on one side but I think I should go ahead and do the double mastectomy since she had the lumpectomy and did not make it.  In fact, just thinking about her journey, it is more scary about her situation than going the full gamut with my situation!  they want me to get the gene test, but doesn't it seem that just 2 years apart, we might already have it?  I am 56 and "our" birthday is next week...

Anonymous

My identical twin and I are 64. She was diagnosed at 57 with breast cancer but I'm still OK. I hope I will continue so. She is doing well following a recent double mastectomy (just to ease her mind). At first when she was diagnosed I was very afraid but now I look at cancer a different way. We have had lots of cancer in our father's family and our mother's sister had breast cancer at 76. Having cancer in your family is like having a loaded gun pointed at you but lifestyle is what pulls the trigger. I eat mostly vegetarian foods, a low-fat diet, whole grains and exercise regularly. I also pray a lot (no joke). I would recommend a wonderful book, Anticancer - A New Way of Life. It's very helpful for those with cancer and without. Just because the odds don't look good for someone to survive doesn't need to be disheartening.  This book offers great hope.

Tabatha00

I am an identical twin.  I was dx with bc May of 2009.  My twin sister does not have bc.  I tested for the BRCA gene and my results were "variant of unknown significance in the BRCA 1 gene".  My sister will be having PBM very soon.  I don't want her to have to go through what I went through. 

dlsmom2

I am identical twin -had dcis & masectomy 2 years ago at age 40- my twin so far is ok but has mammos and/or MRI every 6 months due to calcifications - which is how mine started.  My mother had had Stage IV in left and then DSIC 15 years later in other - so it is in our family, although we tested negative for BRACA gene.

Grazie47

I am the sister of Identical twins (Mirror twins).  Years ago they both found a lump in their breast at the same time, not knowing the other had found one also.  Fortunately for them it was not cancer.  Three years ago one of the twins died from cardiac disease, the surviving twin has just stopped living, she is slowly dieing without her twin.  My heart goes out to all twins.  

beacon800

I have this in my family; my mom was an identical twin.  She died of IDC age 59.  Her twin sister never got breast cancer and died recently, age 79.  My mom had 3 kids, her twin sister had no kids.  The twin sister did have a breast biopsy for something they called a "precancer" some 20 years ago, but never did she get any actual breast cancer.  She died from lung cancer as she was a lifetime smoker.  So I think being a twin does not mean you will get or not get cancer just cause your twin did.  It's very confusing.

bearsilu2

My identical twin was diagnosed in December 2010 with Triple negative BC. We are 50...I had cervical cancer when i was 33 but never had a problem since then. Our problem is we were adopted as babies and are not sure exactly of our birth monthers' family history. we know our mom died at age 49 of melanoma cancer. I am DEVASTATED this happened to my twin. She has had a few years from hell at her job and is in NO WAY ready for any of this. She went for a lumpectomy yesterday and it went well. Being triple negative scares the heck out of me. Anyone else have this? I had my mammo done right away and they said it was fine. Should i have an mri as well? We are both being tested for the BRCA genes or whatever its called soon. Being a twin with this is like a double edge sword...anyone else feel that way?

DiDel

I am an identical twin and was diagnosed last year. My twin sister had a breast mri and was totally in the clear. We have very different hormonal issues, She got her period at 13 and has been regular and fertile myrtle with 5 pregnancies all before 30. I got my period when I was 17 and was irregular from day one. I used to get my period once every 6 months. I have never been pregnant...although I never tried. I would say in the last 10 years my period has been more steady and more regular than ever before. My BS thought it all odd. My grandmother had the same type of cancer as mesame side and all, and her mother had ovarian cancer that killed her but like in 1960 something. I did not get tested for the BRCA genes I just didn't wanna know.

My twin gets checked with an annual MRI like me.

Diane

DiDel

Bearsilu2 You should absolutely get an MRI. I think being a twin automatically puts you at higher risk. I tend to think a lot of it is environmental. My twin and I have just led two completely different lives right down to the part of town we live in. I am a total City girl and she loves the burbs!

Sorry you have to go through this. Sometimes I can tell how hard this has all been on my sister. You know when we were little (and still actually) if she cries I cry and vice versa.

Diane

KNeely

I am an identical twin too.  My twin sister found a lump at age 39 after her 3rd child.  She was diagnosed with breast cancer and passed away after a 3 year battlein 2008   I have had mammograms done every year, my last was just recently in December.  I just found a lump and went for Ultrasound and hoping and praying it is not cancer!!!  It has been really hard without my twin sister, I think of her everyday and miss her so much!!

KNeely

Thanks Anne!

sweetbean

Kneely,

I am so sorry about your twin, too.  I am also an identical twin - diagnosed in Nov 2010.  My twin had an MRI and was in the clear, thank God.  She is amazing and I don't know what I would do without her.  I pray that you are in the clear!

KNeely

Thanks Sweetbean!  My thoughts and prayers are with you and hope you are feeling ok!

lox

Hi. I'm new here. My identical twin sister was diagnosed with breastcancer in Dec 2009 and went through the entire works (hell) of breast removal (one side) chemo radiation etc and was fit as a fiddle 10 months later, fortunately. No signs of further illness since then, but she has had a gene test done BR1+2 and they are extremely high. I will have my test done next week. I was wondering what you though of the idea (doctors suggestion) of me having both breasts and ovaries removed if I'm high at risk and my twin sister having the other breast removed and the ovaries to reduce the risk (I'm not terribly convinced in removing whatsoever if it isn't absolutely necessary).

thanks

Lox

summersong

I am Sweetbean's twin and while my first MRI came back clear, my second one last week showed a .5cm nodule that wasn't there before. I am having my first biopsy on Wednesday. Really hoping it's nothing!