Sisters fight back
Fran and Chris support each other through twin breast cancer battles
FRAN Osborne and her sister Chris Paroz are the kind of women who get ready for a day out kilometres away from each other but when they meet in the street they’re dressed like … well … twins.
While they don’t quite finish each other’s sentences the 64-year-old Toowoomba twins have some surprising commonalities.
For example, Mrs Paroz was diagnosed with breast cancer in May, 2005. A decade later, almost to the day, her identical twin sister found out she had the same disease.
The women have been treated at the same hospital, they have the same surgeon and they were operated on 10 years apart almost to the day.
Mrs Osborne said her sister’s earlier diagnosis meant she knew exactly what had to be done when she was told the bad news.
“I went for my mammogram and ultrasound at Wesley Hospital in Brisbane two years ago and when they didn’t bring my (health records) folder back in I knew there must be something wrong,” Mrs Osborne explains.
After two surgical biopsies confirmed the bad news, Mrs Osborne knew she had no choice but to undergo a double mastectomy.
“Maybe because I was older, it wasn’t a hard decision,” the grandmother said, revealing her mum and her grandmother also battled cancer.
“I had so much love and support the whole time I was doing it.
“After seeing my mum and my twin sister go through this, I had to stay positive.
“I wanted to really experience being a grandmother, because my mum never got to do that.”
Mrs Paroz said she knew something was wrong when her breasts felt like they had mastitis.
A mammogram confirmed her suspicions and she had one breast removed before undergoing extensive treatment.
Years later, she continues to take a cancer inhibitor and she expects to be cancer free for a long time to come.
“My oncologist feels that as long as I’m on the drug the cancer won’t re-occur,” Mrs Paroz said.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer affecting Australian women, with 48 females a day told they have the disease.
Breast Cancer Network Australia chief Christine Nolan said in 2017, about 17,586 women and 144 men would be diagnosed.
BCNA has a range of resources, including the My Journey Kit for people newly diagnosed with breast cancer and Hope & Hurdles for women and men living with metastatic breast cancer. Details: bcna.org.au or phone 1800 500 258.
After seeing my mum and my twin sister go through this, I had to stay positive.