When Maria Seda was 16, she discovered a lump in her right breast.

Although it was removed and found to be non-cancerous, her story shows how susceptible young women are to breast cancer scares.

Today, Seda is a sophomore early childhood development major and member of Sigma Lambda Gamma, a sorority whose philanthropy is breast cancer.

Sigma Lambda Gamma sponsored a speaker Wednesday night. Breast cancer survivor Jodi Tyrrell spoke to about 20 members of Sigma Lambda Gamma at the Holmes Student Center, Room 405.

Tyrrell, a manager at Human Resource Services at NIU, explained her experiences of being diagnosed with cancer 11 years ago at the age of 34 and encouraged the women in attendance to be aware of factors that can cause cancer.

She also stressed how important self-exams are to early detection, even providing a blue silicone model of a breast to demonstrate the procedure of looking for lumps. Women age 20 and over should perform self-exams each month, she said.

“I want young women to be more proactive with their health care,” she said. “Even women in their 20s can develop breast cancer.”

The breast cancer statistics can be alarming. One in three cancers diagnosed in women are breast cancer cases. Doctors diagnose more than 240,000 new cases each year. Men also develop the disease, although rarely.

Tyrrell discussed how people commonly discover breast cancer by recognizing a painless mass in their breasts, similar to the one Seda detected. Although most of these lumps prove to be benign, they should always be checked by a doctor, Tyrrell said.

“I think a lot of people are not aware of this disease. It’s one of the most common cancers in women,” said Dionice Duenas, a senior accountancy major and member of Sigma Lambda Gamma.

Breast cancer awareness was the theme of the poster displayed in the front of Room 405. The poster, created by members of the sorority, contained many facts and statistics regarding breast cancer, including tips on reducing one’s risk.

Some tips include increasing physical activity, minimizing alcohol and tobacco use and avoiding obesity.