Her Family History of Breast Cancer Led to Her Early Diagnosis

Mary Beth Banciella knew the statistics were against her. One by one, all four of her older sisters had received the same devastating diagnosis: breast cancer. Then her identical twin nieces got the same news.

The pattern left Ms. Banciella apprehensive but it also made her vigilant about scheduling mammograms and MRIs every six months, as recommended by her doctors. For women at average risk of breast cancer, the current guidelines by the U.S. Preventive Task Force recommend that screening begin at age 40.

This year, her careful monitoring revealed what she had long dreaded. When an unusual finding on her MRI led to a biopsy, she discovered that she had joined the rest of her family in a battle she had watched them fight for several decades.

“I knew that even with the diagnosis, it’s totally treatable,” Ms. Banciella, 61, said. “I’m sure I had moments where I felt like I was vulnerable, but in all honesty, I felt like I’m going to go down this path and it will be fine, which it did end up being.”

A Clinic for High-Risk Breast Cancer Patients

“Because of her family history, Mary Beth was being followed at our Breast Cancer Prevention Clinic for high-risk patients,” said Starr Mautner, M.D., the breast surgical oncologist with Baptist Health Miami Cancer Institute who performed Ms. Banciella’s surgery. “Her cancer was caught at the earliest stage possible — stage 0.”

The day after Mother’s Day, May 12, 2025, with her husband and their three sons and daughter nearby, Ms. Banciella underwent a double mastectomy. “Because it was caught so early, she does not need any additional treatment. No medication, no chemotherapy, no radiation — just an annual clinical exam of the skin,” Dr. Mautner said.

Also known as ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), stage 0 breast cancer has a survival rate of 99 percent, according to the American Cancer Society. While deaths from breast cancer have been declining due to earlier detection and treatment advances, it is still the second-leading cause of cancer death in women (behind only lung cancer), killing more than 42,000 women a year in the U.S.

Ms. Banciella and her sisters and nieces are all doing well after their treatment, although one sister who had undergone a lumpectomy years ago, had a recurrence and opted for a double mastectomy following her second diagnosis.

Joining Her Sisters as a Breast Cancer Survivor

Sharing her own diagnosis with her family wasn’t easy, but Ms. Banciella approached it with her typical optimism. “I decided to tell my sisters that I would be joining them as a breast cancer survivor,” she said. “And surgery did cure me. I’m cured.”

Ms. Banciella could have opted for a lumpectomy or to remove just one breast, but with her family history, she chose a bilateral mastectomy. “It’s a very personal decision,” Dr. Mautner said. “The option is not right for everyone, but if you’re otherwise healthy and at low risk for complications, it can be the best decision for you.”

Genetic Testing Reveals an Inherited Mutation

Over the years, the women have wondered if their breast cancer was inherited. But genetic testing has shown no mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes, or in any of the other genes currently known to up the chances of breast cancer, including ATM, BARD1, CHEK2, RAD51C, RAD51D, PALB2, CDH1 and TP53.

Interestingly, Ms. Banciella’s nieces were shown to have inherited a mutation from their father’s side of the family. Although they did develop breast cancer, not everyone with a genetic mutation will go on to have cancer.

Feeling fortunate to have her husband, Ricardo, her children and her sisters rally around her in her time of need, Ms. Banciella looks forward to the weekends when all of the sisters get together for coffee with their 95-year-old mother. She’s also ready for her next steps. On October 1, she underwent reconstructive surgery with Harry Salinas, M.D., an Institute breast reconstructive surgeon.

“It’s so easy to be treated if it’s caught early,” she said. “If you are not diligent about your breast health, it can be problematic. Catching it as early as possible really is the best.”

VisitBaptistHealth.net/Mammoto learn more or schedule your breast cancer screening this Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Starr Mautner, M.D., breast surgical oncologist with Baptist Health Miami Cancer Institute