Someone can go on for several years without realizing they have breast cancer. Most people don’t find out until they have developed a noticeable symptom (such as finding a lump around the breast area). Some cancers are also easier to detect than others. For example, women with dense breast tissue may not realize they have breast cancer until a later stage (due to it being more difficult to find something in a mammogram). Some individuals can go up to ten years without knowing they have breast cancer. It takes longer for something to be diagnosed in younger women because they are sometimes not taken seriously (or they believe that because they are young, there is no worry).