A pair of twin sisters underwent double mastectomies after finding out they carry a gene that drastically increases their chances of developing breast cancer.
Sisters Carissa and Cailyn Wulf tested positive for a mutation on the BRCA 1 gene, meaning they had between a 60 and 80 percent of developing breast cancer – compared to just a 12 percent risk for the general population.
The twins were prompted to get tested after their mother, Heather Asche Wulf, discovered she had the gene and developed breast cancer in 2019.
Heather died in 2022 at 48 years old after the cancer spread to her lymph nodes, brain, and lungs.
Before she died, Heather urged her daughters to take action before they were also struck by breast cancer.
Cailyn, now 25, said: ‘My mom was like, “Don’t wait.” She was like, “Please get this done.”‘
To honor their mother’s last wish, Carissa and Cailyn both decided to reduce their risk of the disease and undergo double mastectomies, a major surgery that involves removing both breasts, in February 2024.
Carissa told People: ‘She wanted us to get it done so badly because she didn’t want us to go through what she went through.’
Cailyn added: ‘Honestly, I was crying the night before. But I just knew that it was for the better.’
Carissa and Cailyn Wulf, 25, both underwent double mastectomies after their mother died of breast cancer
A recent study in JAMA found breast cancer rates went up by about 0.79 percent each year during the study from from 2000 to 2019
About 310,000 women in the US were estimated to be diagnosed with breast cancer this year, according to the American Cancer Society. And around 42,000 are expected to die.
Recent research suggests mutations of the BRCA 1 or BRCA 2 genes increase cancer risk by as much as 84 percent.
Normally, these genes suppress tumors and repair damaged DNA in cells, but mutations cause cells to grow abnormally, making them more likely to turn into cancer.
The BRCA 1 gene was made famous by Angelina Jolie, who had a preventive double mastectomy after testing positive for it in 2013.
Six percent of all women with breast cancer carry BRCA gene mutations.
However, removing breast tissue with a mastectomy can reduce the risk of breast cancer by up to 90 percent.
Earlier this year, despite living 1,000 miles apart in Utah and Iowa, the twins traveled to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota – where their mother was treated – for their procedures, which took place two days apart.
Carissa told People: ‘We were super scared.
‘If I didn’t have someone there going through the same thing it would have been a lot harder.’
They opted for nipple-sparing double mastectomies, which keeps most healthy breast skin in tact, along with the nipple and areola, the pigmented area surrounding the nipple.
According to Cedars-Sinai, this method is only used for patients who are having breast reconstruction immediately after a mastectomy.
Both twins then underwent reconstructive surgeries just hours apart on August 23.
The twins posted on TikTok, shown above, about their reconstructive surgeries they underwent after their mastectomies. They said they know their mother is ‘happy we got it done’
Carissa said she and her sister are at ease knowing they honored their mother’s last wish.
She said: ‘I know that she’s smiling down. She’s happy that we got it done.’
The twins each also plan to have their ovaries removed after having children, as BRCA 1 also increases their risk of developing ovarian cancer.
They will also get regular screenings to check for breast cancer.
Dr Mara Pilton, assistant professor of breast and melanoma surgical oncology at the Mayo Clinic who treated the women, told People: ‘I think Cailyn and Carissa ultimately made a fantastic decision and one that was right for them, but it’s never an easy decision to make.
‘It felt quite brave.’
The sisters are both urging other young women with a family history of breast cancer to be tested for BRCA genes.
BRCA mutations are believed to be passed down from parent to child. According to the CDC, a child has a 50 percent chance of inheriting this mutation if their mother or father has it.
This risk decreases by half with each step away from immediate family. This means siblings have a 50 percent chance of having the mutation, while more distant relatives like aunts and uncles are less likely to inherit it.
BRCA mutations do not skip generations, so if a family member has confirmed negative testing, their children do not need to be evaluated.
Carissa said: ‘Don’t be afraid. I feel like some young people may be super scared like we were.
‘That test could save your life.’
