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From left, sisters Marilyn DiLillo, 74, and Carol DePalma, 78, are photographed in Marilyn’s home in Yarmouthport, MA. The sisters grew up in East Walpole, MA. Marilyn was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer 24 years ago and again last year and Carol was diagnosed with a serious sarcoma 24 years ago. They are the only remaining members of their immediate family; their siblings and parents were diagnosed with various types of cancer. Genetic testing on Marilyn ruled out any hereditary predisposition to cancer. “We believe our cancers are due to environmental factors. There was an asbestos shingle factory nearby and our home bordered a park where DDT was sprayed nightly during the polio epidemic. We all played in that park,” Marilyn explains. While Carol lives in Florida and Marilyn on Cape Cod, the sisters are close and visit each other frequently. “It’s comforting to spend time together,” adds Marilyn, who just finished treatment for her second bout of breast cancer.

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Marilyn_Carol.jpg
Copyright
Julia Cumes
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4349x6524 / 15.4MB
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Rise Above: Exploring the Many Faces of Breast Cancer on Cape Cod
From left, sisters Marilyn DiLillo, 74, and Carol DePalma, 78, are photographed in Marilyn’s home in Yarmouthport, MA. The sisters grew up in East Walpole, MA. Marilyn was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer 24 years ago and again last year and Carol was diagnosed with a serious sarcoma 24 years ago. They are the only remaining members of their immediate family; their siblings and parents were diagnosed with various types of cancer. Genetic testing on Marilyn ruled out any hereditary predisposition to cancer. “We believe our cancers are due to environmental factors. There was an asbestos shingle factory nearby and our home bordered a park where DDT was sprayed nightly during the polio epidemic. We all played in that park,” Marilyn explains. While Carol lives in Florida and Marilyn on Cape Cod, the sisters are close and visit each other frequently. “It’s comforting to spend time together,” adds Marilyn, who just finished treatment for her second bout of breast cancer.