2 Triplets Diagnosed With Breast Cancer Just Months Apart

Two triplet sisters were diagnosed with breast cancer just months apart from each other.

Speaking with WCNC27-year-old Kate and Elizabeth Singletary of Winston-Salem, N.C., revealed that after they were both diagnosed with breast cancer last year. They underwent mastectomies just five days apart — and faced treatment together.

“I just noticed something felt not normal in my breast and I kind of was feeling around, and I was like, ‘Hmm, this seems odd,’ and it was a pretty big lump,” Kate, a medical student, told the outlet, recalling the first moment she thought something might be wrong in March 2024.

“When they initially told me that they thought it was cancer, I kind of went numb,” she added. “I kept nodding my head as the radiologist was talking, and I kind of blacked out what he said.”

Soon after, as she recalled in an essay forWomen’s Health,Kate underwent genetic testing, which revealed that she carried the CHEK2 gene mutation, which increases the risk for bilateral breast cancer.

The news forced Elizabeth to jump into action, as she called it a “no-brainer” to also get herself tested. Her results came back positive.

In her essay, Kate recounted the moment she learned Elizabeth also had cancer in September 2024.

“She told me the news right when I got home from a walk around the block. I started crying,” Kate recalled toWomen’s Health.“I didn’t want her to have to go through all of this, too. But she’s faced it with a lot of courage and grace, and told me that she would be much scared about her diagnosis if she hadn’t seen me already go through chemo with a later-stage cancer.”

The sisters — whose other triplet is their brother, Jack — both quickly proceeded with aggressive treatment plans. They both underwent a double mastectomy just five days apart, as doctors worked to eliminate any remaining cancer cells and to reduce the risk of the sisters getting cancer in the future.

According to Kate, having their surgeries so close together resulted in the two triplets recovering “under the same roof,” and helping each other manage post-operative care.

“Before surgery, I had no idea how I was going to feel — mentally — once my breasts were removed,” she explained in her 2024 essay. “I wanted to give myself the freedom to feel all of the emotions and not feel pressure to feel ‘OK’ about it. Seeing Elizabeth be so strong through her surgery really helped me, especially because it showed me what I’d look like after surgery.”

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Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptistwhere the sisters were treated, has since used the family’s story to encourage other young women to undergo genetic testing to help prevent breast cancer.

“Those individuals should undergo high-risk screening, meaning they should start mammograms at an earlier age, typically at least 10 years prior to the diagnosis of their first-degree relative,” Dr. Marissa Howard-McNatt, director of the hospital’s Breast Care Center, told WCNC. “High-risk screening also involves alternating mammograms with MRIs.”

As for Kate and Elizabeth, they are speaking out about their experience to encourage others to be proactive about their health.

“Take things seriously,” Kate advised, speaking with WCNC. “No matter how young you are. Just take things seriously with your body.”