LOS ANGELES — Mallory Lovings has spent a lot of her life on the go. At 29, she's traveled the world, collecting experiences as diverse as the stamps on her passport.

What You Need To Know

  • Lovings, a 29-year-old world traveler, was recently diagnosed with breast cancer

  • She discovered a lump during a routine self-check, but her mammogram initially missed the tumor

  • Breast cancer rates have risen by 1.4% annually among women under 50, according to the American Cancer Society

  • Leading breast cancer surgeon Dr. Kristi Funk emphasizes the role of lifestyle choices, such as diet and stress, in increasing breast cancer risk

Lovings' fridge is a lively reminder of her journeys — covered in magnets from far-off places. But a recent diagnosis has put a pause on her globe-trotting.

“I naturally do self-checks and just touch on my boobs regularly,” Lovings said. “And back in mid-May, I felt a lump, something that felt different. It shouldn’t have been there.”

She discovered the lump just before heading off on another trip, but after returning, she sought medical advice. A mammogram, the most common breast cancer screening tool, came back clear — but Lovings had an unsettling feeling. Thankfully, her doctor ordered an ultrasound the same day. The ultrasound revealed the lump that the mammogram had missed, leading to her diagnosis.

Lovings now faces an aggressive form of breast cancer. She recently underwent a double mastectomy and will soon begin chemotherapy, keeping her on the ground just a bit longer — but she’s taking it in stride.

“In a way, I'm taking this as a healing year to find adventure in new ways just at home, having quality time, just staying still for a bit,” Lovings said.   

But she urges young women to take breast health seriously, especially since her case highlights the imperfections in the usual screening process.

“For mammograms to be the most common practice for breast cancer detection is crazy to me, considering I had this huge tumor, and it still came back clean,” she said. “Do your due diligence of checking yourself and being mindful of what you’re putting into your body and what you’re allowing to penetrate your energy."

Besides taking control of your health, Lovings has another message: “Live your life because it’s so short, and you don’t know what’s going to happen. Anything, within a switch of a day, can come and completely change the course of your near future. So do the things that you want to do while you have the ability to do them.”

Lovings’ experience is part of a larger, troubling trend. According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer rates among women under 50 have increased by 1.4% annually from 2012 to 2021. Dr. Kristi Funk, a leading breast cancer surgeon and medical director of the Pink Lotus Breast Center, attributes this rise to lifestyle choices and environmental factors.

“It’s called epigenetics,” Funk said. “These are alterations on gene-signaling pathways that can affect how your cells respond inside of you. And the things that affect this are the choices you make every day.”

Among the choices Funk points to are dietary habits and exercise, or the lack thereof.

“Now more than ever, people under 50 are overweight, they’re sedentary, they’re drinking more alcohol and they’re eating more meat and dairy,” she said. “Animal products, environmental toxicities and elevated stress — I think all of these culminate in the increased incidence we’re seeing.”

Funk suggests lifestyle changes.

“Research clearly shows that the most important things you can do to maximally reduce your risk of breast cancer, or of having it recur, are to eat a whole food, plant-based diet, exercise regularly, maintain ideal body weight and limit or eliminate alcohol. In addition, I would encourage mindfulness and stress reduction techniques, and pay attention to all of your products in your house,” she said, adding that our environment constantly bombards us with endocrine disrupters. 

While mammograms are vital for early detection, Funk emphasizes that they aren’t enough, especially for those at higher risk.

“I encourage you to be breast-aware,” she said. “Do self-breast exams every month. See your doctor in your 20s every three years, and in your 30s every year for a clinical breast exam. If you ever notice a change in the shape, contour or look of the skin, or feel a lump, visit your doctor.”

As October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Funk and the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine are offering free resources, including a cookbook and a starter guide on their four-pronged approach to beating breast cancer. She’ll be hosting a drum rally to “BEAT” breast cancer in Santa Monica on Oct. 27. More information can be found here.