When Sisters Share Breast Cancer

In a way, Brenda Bennett and her sisters don’t make sense. 

Of the five Swift siblings – four girls and a boy – who grew up together in Baltimore County, three of the sisters, Brenda, Gayle and Pam, have had breast cancer. Not one of them has tested positive for the breast cancer gene. Their eldest sister, Barbara, has never had cancer but participated in a 2-year breast cancer study. 

Breast cancer was not on the family radar when Brenda, at age 44, felt a lump and had a mammogram in 1999. Based on that, the radiologist made an appointment for her with Dr. Lauren Schnaper right away. 

“At first, Dr. Schnaper said we should watch it and scan again in 6 months,” Brenda recalls. “But then she stopped and said we should do a biopsy.” Brenda trusted Dr. Schnaper’s instincts, and they went ahead with the biopsy, which found cancer. 

She was surprised when her first appointment after the biopsy was 3 weeks away. A no-nonsense person, Brenda called the American Cancer Society to ask whether that wasn’t too long to wait. She learned once again to trust Dr. Schnaper: a 3-week window between biopsy and oncology visit matched the ACS recommendation. After that came a lumpectomy, four rounds of chemotherapy and radiation treatment, all at GBMC’s Sandra & Malcolm Berman Cancer Institute. 

Brenda recovered well and resumed her normal life. She and her sisters get together often, more than on special occasions or vacations. Brenda is closer to Gayle because they are closer in age – 13 months apart. They talk frequently on the phone, sometimes twice a day. 

Their youngest sister, Pam, was more private with her cancer journey in 2015. She had a lumpectomy, chemo and radiation for her cancer, at her sister’s insistence, which all seemed to go well. She was treated at GBMC by Sara Fogarty, DO, FACS, who is now Director of the Sandra & Malcolm Berman Comprehensive Breast Cancer Center. 

Pam had a dream that Brenda’s cancer had returned and sure enough, in 2016, Brenda felt a lump in the exact spot where she had the first time. Dr. Schnaper recommended a mastectomy. Brenda recovered well. Unrelated to breast cancer, a scan showed what looked like plaque in her lung. Surgeons removed a 1 cm mass in a procedure that went smoothly. Today, living in Selbyville, Delaware, she is back on a 6-month checkup schedule and doing fine. 

In 2016 Pam’s cancer returned and the second time around, Pam made different choices for herself. “Pam struggled with depression,” Brenda says. Pam told no one her cancer was back – not even her sisters. She chose not to attempt treatment. Gradually and predictably, Pam became very ill.

Brenda lived 10 miles from Pam at this time but had no idea just how sick she was. Brenda sat with her all day one day and realized Pam was clearly very sick. Alarmed at her sister’s condition, Brenda suggested hospice care and Pam was admitted as a Gilchrist patient in her last 48 hours of life. Even in that short time, however, the family found the care Pam received from Gilchrist to be “wonderful.” 

In June 2024, Brenda’s sister Gayle called Brenda with her own bad news. Gayle became the third sister to have breast cancer and to be treated at GBMC. As matter of fact as she can be about her own cancer journey, hearing that another sister – her closest friend – had breast cancer hit Brenda hard! 

Dr. Lauren Schnaper treated Gayle as well. Treatment included lumpectomy, chemotherapy and radiation. Two years later, Gayle has fully recovered, returning for regular scans that have found no more cancer. In Brenda’s words, Gayle is “doing great.” 

Naturally, the Swift sisters, now with children and grandchildren of their own, have more to think about than breast cancer. But when they do, their shared diagnosis remains a mystery. They can think of no good reason why one family should be struck so hard. 

On the other hand, their gratitude for the care they received from GBMC, especially from the Berman Comprehensive Cancer Center and from Gilchrist, is something they understand readily. In that, they feel lucky indeed.