Sisters Mary Marshall, left, and Kathy Doyle, both of Franklin Township, pose together. The pair were both diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2021, and supported one another through the treatments.
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Editor’s note: This story is part of the Brave Hearts series and our ongoing coverage of cancer’s impact on the community. See inside this issue for more stories in the Brave Hearts special section and watch future issues during the month of October for additional cancer awareness coverage.
Having a sister there had never been more important.
Mary Marshall and Kathy Doyle had both happened to schedule their yearly mammogram during the same week in October 2021. The two sisters regularly had the preventative screening done each year, but it just so happened that they made their appointments so close to one another this time.
Then their respective doctors asked they each come back for follow-up mammograms, and subsequently needed to have concerning tissue biopsied.
Eventually, they both were diagnosed with breast cancer.
“It’s just so ironic that both of us got our mammograms the same week, and both came back as cancer,” said Marshall.“What are the odds of two sisters coming in at the same time, in the same offices, and going through the same treatment?”
The two southside Indianapolis residents have walked side-by-side through their cancer journey, sisters supporting one another through surgeries, chemotherapy, radiation and recovery. They’ve shared fears, fatigue and the pain of treatment, lifting each other up at their lowest points and championing each other along the way.
The past year has been difficult for both women. But a terrible situation was made bearable by going through it together.
“I couldn’t have done it without her. Even though she was states away, talking every day, comparing notes, encouraging and sympathizing. I felt blessed that, unfortunately, we had to go through it together,” Marshall said.
Marshall and Doyle were vigilant about having their routine mammogram done each year. Breast cancer didn’t run in their family — they were the first among their 10 other siblings to be diagnosed with it — but felt the screening was important.
When they made their appointments for 2021 with Franciscan Health Indianapolis, they both were scheduled for the same week in October — Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
“We don’t usually plan on getting mammograms in the same month, let alone the same week, but it was a coincidence that we did,” Marshall said.
Doyle was contacted by her doctor first that the mammogram looked off, and asked that she come back for a second one. Marshall tried to calm her fears, telling her that it happens all of the time. Then Marshall got the same message.
After the second mammogram, both Doyle and Marshall were told they needed biopsies.
The biopsies came back positive for breast cancer for both women.
Doyle lives in Arizona during the winter months, and at the time of the diagnosis, she and her husband were getting ready for their annual migration.
“We were packed, and were ready to leave the next week,” Doyle said. “My doctor called, and he was so sad. He said, ‘I’m so sorry to tell you it came back positive. You’re going to need to get an oncologist and a surgeon.’”
Her care team, including surgeon Dr. Juliana Meyer and medical oncologist Dr. Subhash Sharma, recommended a lumpectomy to remove the tumor. Doyle had that surgery on Nov. 17, then a second procedure to clear additional tissue from the margins around the cancerous area.
Four rounds of chemotherapy and 20 rounds of radiation treatment followed, but Doyle was able to transfer her care to Ironwood Cancer and Research Centers in Arizona over the course of the winter.
“Dr. Meyer and Dr. Sharma both agreed that I could do my treatment in Arizona. They thought it would be great,” Doyle said. “They were great about working with my oncologist and radiologist out there. All four of those doctors were communicating on what my treatment plan was.”
Marshall had all of her treatment done at Franciscan Health Indianapolis. Her medical team — including surgeon Dr. Erika Rager, medical oncologist Dr. Sameer Ahmed and radiology oncologist Dr. Michael Eaton — worked together to put together a plan to attack the cancer.
She was scheduled for a lumpectomy, combined with six rounds of chemotherapy and 20 rounds of radiation.
“They were all amazing, the nurses, everyone. There were no glitches; everything ran so smooth,” she said. “They take care of all of your appointments. They call you and let you know when to come in. It’s a really, really well-run department.”
Even with such a positive experience with those caring for them, the months of treatment were difficult.
“Some days, you’d just be so tired. Going through chemo really takes your energy and your appetite,” Doyle said. “As positive as we both were — we were both very, very positive — at the end of the day, you’re still going through it. You want to be positive, but it really stinks.”
The two sisters tried to put on an optimistic face, for their families’ sake, hiding some of the worst of the treatment.
“They thought we were strong,” Marshall said.
But both understand that in the larger scheme of things, they were lucky.
“It was never easy. But all of these women who went through this before us, 20 years ago, when things have changed so much, that, we were blessed by all of those women who did this before us,” Doyle said. “It would have been so much more radical. Breast cancer research and what they do have come a long, long way. We are the benefactors of all of that.”
Doyle finished her final treatment in May, before flying back to Indiana for the summer.
“Now it’s just getting your strength back. I do a class at the (YMCA) just to get strong, get your balance back. Everything is just a little off,” she said.
Marshall also finished her treatment over the summer.
“Now I’m just on the road to recovery,” she said.
The Doyle File
Kathy Doyle
Age: 73
Diagnosis: Breast cancer
Treatment: Lumpectomy, four rounds of chemotherapy, 20 rounds of radiation
How has cancer changed you?
“The one thing that got me through it was daily prayer. A friend of mine gave me a little book that had daily readings in it, and some days, it would hit right on the spot as to how you’re feeling. My faith and my family got me through it.”
What has cancer taught you?
“So many women went through this, friends of mine, in my community of tennis and church, who have gone through this 15 years ago. They told me I’d be fine. But every time it comes up for your next mammogram, there’s that anxiety there.”
What would you say to someone who was recently diagnosed?
“You want to be strong for your family, that was a lot of the motivation. But at the same time, you have to be honest with yourself and with them. It’s not easy, but you’ll get through this. My diagnosis made me feel that I would get through this. It’s not going to last forever.”
The Marshall File
Mary Marshall
Age: 75
Diagnosis: Breast cancer
Treatment: Lumpectomy, six rounds of chemotherapy, 20 rounds of radiation
How has cancer changed you?
“It’s taught me empathy, for other women who have gone through this.”
What has cancer taught you?
“To live each day, because you never know what’s going to happen the next day. Appreciate life, appreciate your family and friends, and your church and everybody around you. And you learn, get your mammogram. Don’t put it off. See your doctors, get your test.”
What would you say to someone who was recently diagnosed?
Marshall: “Go to Franciscan. Hang in there, you’ll be OK. They’ve made so many advances, and they’re on top of it. They know what they’re doing. Have faith. Reach out, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. There are so many people out there who want to help, and don’t know what to do.”
