Facing Breast Cancer at a Young Age
Andrea de Armas sensed that the ultrasound technician thought she was being overly dramatic.
At just 26, with no family history of breast cancer, she discovered a lump in her breast. Before she jumped into her intense training as a physician assistant, she felt it was essential to get it looked at.
Waiting in a room filled with older patients undergoing routine scans was already a bit nerve-wracking. And then there was the technician, who seemed to brush aside her worries.
“The tech gave off this vibe of ‘Why are you even here?'” De Armas recalled. “She didn’t say it outright, but that was the message. I felt small and, honestly, just weird. I was like, ‘There’s a mass; I can feel something.’ And the response was like, ‘Oh, really?’ It was uncomfortable, to say the least.”
After she had the scan, a radiologist looked it over and immediately suggested a biopsy. This was quite a shift from the technician’s earlier skepticism. De Armas expressed that she was flooded with emotions and felt deeply conflicted throughout the experience.
She soon scheduled an appointment at the Herbert Wertheim Cancer Institute of Baptist Health, where another scan and a biopsy confirmed her fears. Four days later, just a day before her physician assistant program was about to start, she found out the lump was malignant; she had breast cancer.
“It’s hard to put into words. Everything felt very surreal, like I was listening in on someone else’s story,” she shared. “Then all those words hit me and it was like a switch flipped. I thought, ‘I need to act on this; I’ve got school starting tomorrow.’”
Rising Incidence of Breast Cancer in Younger Women
Approximately one out of every ten new breast cancer diagnoses occurs in women under 45, according to the American Cancer Society, although only about one in 1,344 women are diagnosed in their twenties. It’s noted that incidences of breast cancer are increasing by roughly 1% each year, with women under 50 now facing a slightly higher rate of new cases compared to those over 50.
Younger women often find themselves diagnosed at more advanced stages and tend to have more aggressive tumors or rarer subtypes of the disease, as noted by Dr. Mary Gemignani, who directs the Women’s Early Onset Cancer Program and heads Breast Surgery at NYU Langone.
Despite these troubling statistics, many young women still face dismissal by medical professionals, according to Gemignani. “Over my 25 years of practice, I’ve heard many women say they were told they were too young for breast cancer,” she mentioned, though she wasn’t involved in De Armas’ care.
Further tests revealed that De Armas had a genetic mutation linked to an increased risk of breast cancer. This discovery brought her a sense of control as she embarked on treatment.
“It was somewhat relieving to understand the possible origins of my cancer,” she explained. “And it also empowered my family. They can get the screenings they need and get ahead of such issues.”
Managing Chemotherapy and Education
Determined not to let her diagnosis derail her plans, De Armas underwent a lumpectomy in June, just a month post-diagnosis, fitting it between her school sessions. She arranged her chemotherapy treatments for early morning, allowing her the afternoons for classes. A bilateral mastectomy and reconstruction were planned for the winter break.
Dr. Cristina Lopez-Penalver, a surgical oncologist who treated De Armas, noted that this unconventional schedule permitted her to keep up with her educational commitments while ensuring her health needs were met.
“We worked together on this,” Lopez-Penalver said. “She was not going to let breast cancer stand in her way.”
Looking Ahead
De Armas graduated as a physician assistant in 2025, landing a job just a month later. By September, she was celebrating her first work anniversary.
Now at 30, she is cancer-free. The surgeries and chemotherapy are behind her, though she remains on hormone therapy due to the nature of her cancer. This treatment has pushed her into temporary menopause, which, according to Gemignani, presents unique concerns for younger breast cancer survivors. She also faced decisions about fertility earlier than anticipated and continues to meet with her oncologist for follow-up care.
“I consider myself lucky. I feel like I’m doing alright,” De Armas reflected. “It took me some time to adjust. It wasn’t instant; I needed to process the changes my body was going through. But I’m managing to live a pretty normal life as a 30-year-old.”
De Armas hopes her journey will motivate others to trust their instincts and advocate for themselves when something feels off. She acknowledges that feeling anxious about medical procedures is entirely valid, but emphasizes that fear of the unknown shouldn’t stop anyone from seeking answers.
“Ultimately, it’s always about what you can take control of, and moving forward with the support of those around you,” De Armas asserted. “Do what’s best for yourself, always. We’re all human, and some genetic predispositions are simply beyond our control. So to feel empowered, focus on what is within our power. It’s a cliché, but knowledge truly is power.”
