"It was one of those things where everybody said you need to go have a mammogram."

And for good reason -- Jennifer Lackobee's extensive family history of breast cancer meant she was also at high risk.

"I have an older sister who had a mastectomy at age 40," she says.

Jennifer's grandmother and two aunts also battled the disease. But still, she thought, if it's not broke don't fix it.

"I'm a procrastinator. I'm one of those that was like, well if it's not hurt, don't go and fool with anything."

This past April, 42-year-old Jennifer worked up the courage to get a mammogram...and it's a good thing she did.

"What in the world is it? What's about to happen?," she recalls wondering.

Her doctor discovered a lump, and after a biopsy, she was diagnosed with pre-cancer cells and what she thought was going to be a lumpectomy, turned into a partial mastectomy.

"We were able to completely remove the area and don't expect any further problems for Jennifer," says Jennifer's Breast Surgical Oncologist, Dr. Julie Mook.

Dr. Mook says the lump was only detectable through mammogram.

"It wasn't something she would feel or otherwise know she had if she hadn't had her mammogram."

Because of early detection, only the abnormal tissue had to be removed, and Jennifer was spared chemotherapy or radiation.

"When you have an earlier cancer diagnosis, and it's a much smaller lesion, they're more amendable to doing a partial mastectomy," says Dr. Mook.

As a survivor, Jennifer pleads with other women to pay attention to family history and take control of their health.

"I was lucky because I went in and finally did it but I hate that I waited so long. It's nothing to be scared of."

The mother of two says she recently got results back from the tissue that was removed during her partial mastectomy.

She's happy to report that the tissue was benign.