Two sisters from County Armagh have spoken about being diagnosed with breast cancer just six weeks apart. Aisling Muckian and Áine Mallie, both mothers from Silverbridge, supported each other through chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery after receiving their diagnoses in 2025.
Diagnosis at a Young Age
Aisling, who was 31 at the time, found a lump in April 2025. Speaking on Ireland AM, she said: “Just obviously a massive shock. It’s not something I thought would be part of my life. Obviously, I’m sure everybody feels that way, but certainly not at my age.”
She added: “I was perfectly fit. I was exercising. I was eating healthily. I was working nine to five. I have two little kids. You know, everything was kind of normal, I suppose.” After initially finding the lump, she presumed it was a small cyst or muscle-related issue and got it checked as a precaution. She was eventually diagnosed with stage three grade three ER-positive breast cancer.
Second Shock for the Family
Just weeks later, Áine, who was 34 at the time, found a lump on her own breast. She recalled: “Aisling maybe spent a couple of weeks thinking that everything was all right. When I found my lump, it was literally two weeks after Aisling’s diagnosis. So, I did automatically think, ‘Oh my goodness, this could be the same.’”
Áine asked her younger sister to inspect the lump, and although it appeared different, she said: “I knew in my heart when I felt hers that mine was the same, to be honest.” She was diagnosed with grade three, oestrogen and progesterone receptor positive breast cancer, and it was revealed that the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes.
Going Through Treatment Together
Áine, who had a single mastectomy, said she “benefited slightly more” because her chemotherapy and operation were six weeks behind Aisling’s, allowing her to get advice. Aisling, who had a single mastectomy with reconstruction, said: “I think a cancer diagnosis can be very lonely. And one silver lining was that we went through it together, you know, and it I supposed reduced that loneliness side of it.”
Both sisters have since been diagnosed with the BRCA2 gene. Aisling said it helped to reassure her sister that she would get through chemotherapy by explaining how she felt at each stage.
Importance of Regular Checks
GP Dr Sonja Bobart joined the sisters on Ireland AM and said that men and women of all ages should check their bodies every month. She advised looking for skin changes, such as rash, redness, or heat, and comparing breasts for size differences. She also mentioned checking the nipple for discharge, retraction, or eczema-type sensations.
She added: “And sometimes, people who do have a slight discomfort, not necessarily pain, but if you’ve got slight discomfort, always get that checked because lumps aren’t as Aisling said, they weren’t painful. They were painless. And that’s sometimes a suspicious sign.”
