At 25, Jody Ginter Mihok had a lump in her breast but plenty of reasons to believe it wasn’t cancer. Her age was one of them. image created from photo courtesy of the DBCC and DeerPark Goes Pink using AI on 10/23.

Delaware survivor Jody Ginter Mihok’s experience highlights why younger women shouldn’t dismiss breast changes — and how a Newark fundraising event this Sunday brings survivors and families together.

NEWARK, Del. — At 25, Jody Ginter Mihok had a lump in her breast but plenty of reasons to believe it wasn’t cancer. Her age was one of them.

Before undergoing a biopsy, she had been repeatedly reassured that cancer was unlikely in someone so young.

But in 2006, the diagnosis came: breast cancer.

Twenty years later, after two separate breast cancer diagnoses and becoming a mother, Mihok is sharing her experience as she prepares to participate in the 10th annual Deer Park Goes Pink 5K this Sunday, Oct. 25, in Newark.

The event begins at 9 a.m. at Deer Park Tavern, 108 W. Main St., and includes a 5K run/walk and an untimed 1-mile walk. Registration remains open, and organizers say 100% of proceeds benefit the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition, which supports women and families affected by breast cancer.

Mihok hopes her story will encourage other women to pay attention to changes in their health and motivate Delawareans to join Sunday’s event in support of survivors and their families.

Breast cancer is rising among younger women

Although breast cancer remains far more common in older women, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that incidence among women younger than 45 increased an average of 0.7% annually between 2001 and 2022.

More than 27,000 women under 45 were diagnosed with breast cancer nationwide in 2022, according to the CDC.

For Mihok, the statistics reflect something she experienced firsthand: Being young can make breast cancer seem unlikely, even when symptoms are present.

“Being young can sometimes make people assume cancer isn’t a possibility, and that was certainly part of my experience,” she told the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition.

Her diagnosis changed the direction of her life almost immediately.

“I went from being a 25-year-old young adult living her life to having what seemed like daily appointments, testing, surgery, and then six months of chemotherapy,” Mihok said.

Instead of concentrating on her career, relationships and plans for a family, she faced difficult questions about whether she would ever have children.

Cancer threatens plans for motherhood

For younger breast cancer patients, treatment may involve decisions extending well beyond fighting the disease.

Mihok had to consider how surgery would change her body, how cancer might affect relationships and whether chemotherapy would eliminate her chances of having children.

She consulted a fertility specialist but learned that preserving her eggs would involve out-of-pocket expenses and hormone treatments that raised concerns because of her aggressive, hormone-positive breast cancer.

“There were also things I had to think about at 25 that I never expected to face, including my fertility,” she said.

The experience illustrates another challenge facing younger patients: Cancer treatment can affect reproductive options at an age when many women have not yet decided whether to start a family.

Women facing treatment that could affect fertility are encouraged to discuss preservation options with their medical team before treatment begins.

For Mihok, motherhood eventually became a reality.

At 35, she became pregnant without fertility treatment and gave birth to her daughter, Jacey.

But two years later, cancer returned to her life.

A second diagnosis brings a different fear

Mihok was diagnosed with breast cancer again when her daughter was just 2 years old.

According to her account, the second diagnosis was not a recurrence of her original cancer but a new breast cancer.

This time, her greatest concern had changed.

At 25, she had worried that cancer might prevent her from becoming a mother. Now she feared her daughter might grow up without one.

The two diagnoses, occurring at dramatically different stages of her life, gave Mihok a personal understanding of how cancer affects patients and their families long after the initial diagnosis.

Today, her daughter is 10, and Mihok credits her husband, family and friends for providing the support she needed throughout her treatment and recovery.

Support for Delaware’s younger survivors

Mihok participates in the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition’s Young Survivors in Action program, which addresses the concerns of women diagnosed with breast cancer at younger ages.

The program offers education, wellness activities and opportunities to connect with other survivors. Activities focus on physical recovery, emotional well-being and adjusting to life during and after treatment.

Mihok’s experience also reinforces an important distinction between routine cancer screening and evaluating an actual symptom.

The American Cancer Society recommends that women at average risk have the option of beginning annual mammograms at age 40, with annual screening recommended beginning at 45. Women at higher risk may need screening earlier.

But a new breast lump or other concerning change should be evaluated regardless of age. Being too young for routine mammograms does not mean being too young to develop breast cancer.

Turning survival into support for others

For Mihok, Sunday’s Deer Park Goes Pink event represents far more than a race.

It brings together survivors, caregivers, families and supporters while raising money for breast cancer education and survivor services in Delaware.

“I come back every year because this event means something very personal to me,” she said.

“Being surrounded by this community reminds me how many people are willing to stand beside you, whether you are currently going through treatment, a survivor, a caregiver, or someone who has lost a loved one.”

Her message to other women is rooted in the uncertainty she experienced at 25: Pay attention to changes in your health, ask questions and advocate for yourself when something does not seem right.

And while breast cancer changed her life twice, she refuses to let it become the only thing that defines her.

“Cancer became part of my story, but it did not get to define my whole story.”

TO-GO BOX | Join Deer Park Goes Pink this Sunday

10th annual Deer Park Goes Pink 5K

• When: Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026, at 9 a.m.
• Where: Deer Park Tavern, 108 W. Main St., Newark.
• What: A 5K run/walk, untimed 1-mile walk and post-race celebration benefiting the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition.
• Registration: $35 plus fees through Saturday, Oct. 24. Registration increases to $40 plus fees on race day.
• Not running? A post-race celebration pass is available for $20 plus fees. Organizers also accept donations.
• Beneficiary: Organizers say 100% of event proceeds benefit the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition.

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