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At 27, Ohio hospital worker Marissa Coreno found an armpit lump and, after an ultrasound, mammogram and biopsy, learned she had Stage II breast cancer that had reached her lymph nodes. As physicians note rising diagnoses among women under 50, Coreno endured months of chemotherapy, a double mastectomy, reconstruction and radiation, then began decade-long hormone therapy that induced menopause at 28. Now cancer-free, she married Anthony in August 2024 after the couple connected during treatment, and urges others to speak up about symptoms, saying there is "light at the end of the tunnel."

Prepared by Olivia Bennett and reviewed by editorial team.