Identical twins from Austin are raising awareness about breast cancer for women in their 20s and 30s. One of the twins was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer at age 27 but has since made a full recovery.
“Last year during breast cancer awareness month I was still recovering,” recalled breast cancer survivor Hattie Sherman.
In the year since her diagnosis and surgeries, Sherman has become an advocate urging young women to take breast cancer seriously.
“Really it’s opened my eyes to one, how common it is and two, how serious and advanced it can be once it’s found,” she said.
After being diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer, Sherman had a double mastectomy and was able to avoid chemotherapy. Her twin, Mary Alice, is planning the same surgery next year as a preventative measure.
“As Hattie's identical twin and genetic clone I'm going ahead and just getting the double mastectomy taken care of to hopefully avoid any future issues,” Mary Alice Sherman said.
Last year, CBS Austin introduced you to the Sherman women and their mother, Molly, who also had a double mastectomy following a breast cancer diagnosis years ago.
"I think it helps that I have my mom and Hattie that have already had the double mastectomies, so it takes a bit of the fear away from it," Mary Alice Sherman said.
Dr. Debra Patt, a medical oncologist with St. David’s Medical Center and Texas Oncology, has treated all three Sherman women.
“The key really is finding it early. If you find it early, not only are you overwhelmingly likely to be cured of your disease, but it is less likely that you have to have more complicated types of treatment like chemotherapy,” Dr. Patt explained. Adding, she can’t stress enough the importance of self-breast exams, annual checkups and screenings - especially now when many people have delayed routine doctor visits during the pandemic.
“Even just yesterday, I had a young patient as a new patient that had heard someone counsel them to do self-breast exams. She did her first self-breast exam and found a breast cancer,” Dr. Patt said.
Young women should also know that hormones active during pregnancy can cause a small, undetected breast cancer to grow more quickly. For that reason, any breast changes should be discussed with a doctor.
“When you are pregnant, that does not increase your risk for breast cancer. But if you have a breast cancer that's small and you get pregnant, most breast cancers grow in response to hormones and you're like a hormone storm during pregnancy. So it can accelerate the rate of growth of a cancer and make it a lot more serious,” Dr. Patt explains. “If you have a lump in your breasts don’t ignore it. You need to see your doctor and get diagnostic imaging,” she adds.
To raise awareness and funding for research, Hattie Sherman and Recess Pickleball are hosting the first annual “Pickleball for Pink” event. Together they have designed a limited-edition "Breast Cancer Awareness" pickleball paddle which can be purchased through the link below. Half of the proceeds from the paddle sales will go towards Women Who Conquer Cancer.