Woman, 26, felt her concerns were being dismissed before cancer diagnosis
Andrea De Armas thought her concerns weren't being taken seriously. Then she received alarming information.
Key points
- Andrea de Armas found a breast lump at 26 and felt dismissed by an ultrasound technician before her cancer diagnosis.
- About one in 10 new breast cancer diagnoses are in women under 45, the American Cancer Society says.
- De Armas, now 30, is cancer-free and works as a physician assistant after treatment during her training.
Andrea de Armas was 26 when she found a lump in her breast and went for an ultrasound before starting a physician assistant training program. She said the technician seemed to dismiss her concerns, leaving her feeling belittled and uncomfortable. After the scan, a radiologist reviewed it and recommended an immediate biopsy.
De Armas went to Baptist Health's Herbert Wertheim Cancer Institute for another scan and biopsy. Four days later, the day before her program began, she learned the lump was malignant. She had breast cancer.
Breast cancer in younger women
About one in 10 new breast cancer diagnoses are in women under 45, according to the American Cancer Society, though only about one in 1,344 women are diagnosed in their 20s. The ACS says incidence rates have risen about 1% per year, with slightly more new cases in women under 50 than above 50.
Dr. Mary Gemignani of NYU Langone, who was not involved in De Armas' care, said young women tend to be diagnosed later and tend to have "more aggressive" tumors or rarer subtypes. She said some young women are still told they are too young to have breast cancer. Further testing found De Armas had a genetic mutation linked to increased breast cancer risk.
She was really not about ready to let this breast cancer get in her way.
— Dr. Cristina Lopez-Penalver
Treatment and school
De Armas had a lumpectomy in early June, a month after her diagnosis, during a break in her school schedule. She went for chemotherapy at 6:50 a.m. and spent afternoons in class, and scheduled a bilateral mastectomy and reconstruction during winter break. Dr. Cristina Lopez-Penalver, who treated her, said the schedule let her stay on track at school while maintaining her health.
De Armas graduated as a physician assistant in 2025 and started working a month later. Now 30, she says she is cancer-free but remains on hormone therapy and continues regular follow-ups. She said she hopes sharing her story will encourage others to trust themselves and push for answers.
