"I was told it was nothing to worry about," Devaney Hogan, 38 told TODAY.com. "They said, 'Yeah, I wouldn't worry about it. You're scheduled for your physical at the end of October, just come in then.'"

But Devaney Hogan had a friend who gave her the advice she needed to hear.

"My really good friend who's a nurse said, 'Absolutely not. Don't settle for not being seen,'" Devaney Hogan explained. "She's like, 'I don't care what the doctor said. I don't care if they're not worried. Just get this checked. You have three babies you need to be OK.'"

RELATED: Breast Cancer Warrior Announces The 'Early Retirement' Of Her Breasts In A Heartfelt Essay: 'Your Untimely Exit Comes After Years Of Service'

After “a fair amount of pushing and persistence,” Devaney Hogan secured an appointment with her OB-GYN the following week. A referral to a breast cancer facility led to another doctor telling her there was "nothing to worry about," but she was able to schedule a mammogram and biopsy. That’s when she was diagnosed with “stage 3 HER2 positive and invasive breast cancer that had spread to [her] lymph nodes” at age 37.

With stage three breast cancer, the tumor is large (over 5 centimeters), the cancer has spread to nearby tissues or it has spread to many nearby lymph nodes. The fact that she has HER2-positive breast cancer means she has high levels of the HER2 protein on the outside of her cancer cells.

RELATED: Treatment for HER2-Positive Breast Cancer

"There were no other symptoms," she said. "I did not present in any way or have a family history or other symptoms that would put me at high alert.

"I very well could have brushed it off and waited. And I was told had I waited, we'd be in a very different scenario… My bikini saved my life."

Devaney Hogan has already undergone 12 rounds of chemotherapy, a double mastectomy, lymph node removal and radiation, but she has since restarted chemotherapy after recent scans showed residual cancer. She’ll also undergo reconstruction in November.

In the meantime, she’s been working on Season for Squeezin' a campaign to encourage breast cancer awareness in younger women. More specifically, the campaign urges women “to check themselves when it's already convenientduring the summer, when they're changing in and out of bathing suits.” She’s even convinced leading swimwear brands like Heidi Fish, Imsy Swimwear and Kortni Jeane Swimwear to include tags on their suits that urge women to perform breast self-exams.

"Unfortunately, breast cancer is impacting a growing number of younger women,” she said. “Why not meet them and the place they are in the summer and focus on the things they can do really tangibly?”

Know the Signs of Breast Cancer and Get Screened

Trying to catch breast cancers at the earliest stages requires that people prioritize breast self-exams and breast cancer screenings.

RELATED: Women Should Now Start Getting Mammograms at 40, Expert Panel Suggests: The Benefits and Potential Risks of Earlier Breast Cancer Screening

There are many different recommendations regarding when people should start getting mammograms. An independent panel of experts called the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recently changed their guidelines to say that women of average risk should begin with screenings every other year starting at age 40, but other organizations like the American Cancer Society say “women between 40 and 44 have the option to start screening with a mammogram every year.”

RELATED: When You're Getting a Mammogram, Ask About Dense Breasts

Still, there is a consensus that all women should talk with their doctor about the benefits and harms of mammography as well as when and how often they should be screened based on their individual risk factors. According to the National Cancer Institute, “women with risk factors for breast cancer, such as certain changes in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene or certain genetic syndromes may be screened at a younger age and more often.” Talk to your doctor about an individualized screening plan and ask questions like whether or not you have dense breasts and if a 3D mammogram is right for you.

I Wanted My Doctor To Like Me, Then He Missed My Breast Cancer

In addition, make sure you’re performing breast self-exams. SurvivorNet advisor Dr. Elizabeth Comen says breast cancer prevention and awareness starts with making sure women are comfortable with their breasts and knowledgable of what they feel like normally.

"For some women, that may mean going to their doctor and walking through what a self-breast exam might feel like so that they know what normal breast tissue feels like, so that if they do feel anything abnormal whether it's a lump or discharge from the nipple that they know what to ask and what to look for," she said.

Getting to Know Your Breasts with Self-Exams

During a breast self-exam, SurvivorNet recommends you look for changes like:

• A new lump in the breast
• New swelling in the breast
• Changes to the nipple (such as puckering)
• Flaking or redness in the breast or nipple
• Discharge (including blood) coming from the nipple
• Pain in the breast

Don't hesitate to talk to a medical professional if you have one or more of the symptoms above. You never know when addressing a change to your breasts could lead to a serious diagnosis.

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.