When she was 19 years old, Elisa Caleb went to the doctor with a lump on her breast and was told that it was nothing serious. However, she later found out that she had an aggressive form of cancer, reports BBC News
Caleb knew something wasn't right when the lump grew from the size of a marble to the size of a golf ball. When she decided to have it removed, it was then discovered that she did have cancer.
She was never told that there was a chance she did have cancer because her doctor thought she was too young to have the disease.
"I was completely stunned because every day the lump had been in my thoughts and I'd thought it was nothing to worry about," Caleb told the news provider.
It is rare for women in their teens to be diagnosed with breast cancer but that should not prevent them from receiving the same care if they do discover a lump. Early detection allows for more effective treatments and gives women a better chance of beating the disease.
According to the National Cancer Institute, one in eight American women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.