News 12 is highlighting members of the community for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. We spoke with a survivor from Brooklyn who is using her story to inspire others and help them know that a breast cancer diagnosis is not the end of the road. 

It was December of 2019 when Lian Calvo Serrano says she found a lump under her breast.

"I felt what might, was an anomaly somewhere underneath my breast by my rib," Serrano says.

But out of fear, Lian says she initially ignored the mass and brushed it off as a possible work injury.

It wasn't until three months later in March 2020, when Serrano says she got a mammogram and was ultimately diagnosed with breast cancer. She says while living with breast cancer was tough, she tried to remain optimistic.

Serrano immediately took action by going through evaluations with her doctors and opting for surgery. After getting the mastectomy and reconstructive surgery, Serrano is now a breast cancer survivor.

As she continues her annual checkups on her recovery journey, she and her surgeons are now stressing the importance of breast self-exams.

"When you notice anything unusual, it can't hurt to go to your physician and even if that's not the case, sometimes it can spur this pathway to finding an early breast cancer."

Just over a year after her surgeries, the breast cancer survivor says she's now living life with no regrets.

The warning signs of breast cancer are not the same for all women. Here are seven of the most common signs.