Komen Connection: Our friend Dr. Bridget on why the stakes are high at any age.

At 26 years old most women are focused on building their careers and/or families with cancer being the last thing on their mind and Dr. Bridget Glazarov of New York was certainly no exception.

At 26 Dr. Bridget was already working her dream career as a dentist in one of the biggest cities in the world, New York. While in the middle of working and attending a special residency program doctors noticed an enormous 10cm tumor and diagnosed Glazarov with Stage 3 breast cancer, it was a diagnosis that hit her like a ton of bricks.

"As a medical professional I'm always on the lookout for any signs of cancer in patients, especially oral cancer, but for myself? It just never occurred to me to check, it's always been patient care that comes first." Glazarov responds when asked if she was aware of women getting diagnosed with breast cancer at such a young age.

And she isn't alone.

According to the American Cancer Society the stakes are phenomenally lower for the 20 year age group compared to the 30 year age group. Meaning? 1 in 1,567 women in their twenties will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer while 1 in 220 will be diagnosed with it in their thirties. That's a HUGE difference and that difference means it's not getting talked about as much.

Which is why Glazarov has taken to social media to spread the word about self-checks and screenings, especially for the 20 year age group. 

"It's such a cliche but if it can happen to me it can happen to the girl next-door or your best friend on Oregon. Yes the chances are lower but 1 in 1,567 still adds up to a lot of women who may miss a diagnosis simply because they think they are too young or don't check." says Glazarov.

Here at Life Tackled we did the research and the numbers, with over 21+ million women between the ages of 20-29 in the US alone that means over 13,401+ women in their twenties are diagnosed with breast cancer each year and you can bet most didn't see it coming or ever check. Which is why Dr. Bridget's message for self-care is so important.

13,401 may not seem like a whole lot but to the women fighting cancer its already 13,401 too many.

As we end this article we invite you to learn more about Dr. Bridget Glazarov by visiting her website www.drbridget.com If you are in the NYC area we encourage you to make an appointment with her for a dental checkup and oral cancer screening.