CNN -- When Maria Rubeo closed her arm, she felt something "very big -- like a lemon."





Although Hispanic women have a lower incidence rate for breast cancer, they often get the diagnosis at later stages.





Her doctor said the lump in her breast was nothing, so Rubeo, who didn't have health insurance, didn't seek a second opinion. With two jobs and two kids, she was busy and didn't go to the doctor's office for another year.





During her next visit, with a different doctor, Rubeo learned she had breast cancer -- and the tumor had been there for a while.





Her story may not be particularly rare. Research suggests that breast cancer may be harder to treat in Hispanic women because they wait longer to receive care.





Women in the fastest-growing minority group in the United States face issues such as language and cultural barriers, lifestyle choices and lack of insurance that could affect their health and medical care, according to research released Wednesday at the Science of Cancer Health Disparities Conference.





Like Rubeo, about half of women in a study of 230 Mexican-American breast cancer patients in Arizona and Texas noticed changes in their breasts, but waited more than a month to seek medical attention, according to research presented at the conference hosted by the American Association for Cancer Research.





"We asked what the reasons were," said Rachel Zenuk, a graduate student at the University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, who spoke about the study.  "A third cited they didn't have insurance or were unable to afford medical care. Or they thought it was not important to report the medical finding to a professional."





Other factors included fear of the results and difficulty scheduling an appointment, she said.





More than a decade after her mastectomy, Rubeo urges Hispanic women in the San Francisco, California, Bay area not to wait after seeing changes in their breasts.





"I explain: Take time for you to see the doctor," she said. "[Some women] don't have insurance, don't speak English, it's very difficult."





Hispanics are the largest U.S. minority group, constituting 14 percent of the nation's total population. While Hispanic women have a lower incidence rate for breast cancer than whites, blacks and Asians, they have a less favorable prognosis because of delayed treatment.





"They're not getting more breast cancer than other women, but they're less likely to survive as long," said Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, a member of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation's National Health Advisory Council and chairwoman of the Komen Foundation National Hispanic/Latino Advisory Council.  "The reason is they're diagnosed at a later stage of the cancer."





"We're seeing them at later stages, so the cancer is more advanced. Their five-year survival rates are lower than non-Hispanic whites," Ramirez said.





Data also showed that about two-thirds of breast cancer cases in the 230 Mexican-American women were found through self-detection, which suggests that the women were not receiving routine mammogram or exams.





Rubeo said that when she first noticed the lump, she "had no time for me to take care of myself. Only work, work, running, no time to eat. Sometimes you forget yourself, so there's time for everybody and not enough for yourself."





At the Latina Breast Cancer Agency in San Francisco, she tells other women how she didn't take care of herself while working two jobs, 16 hours a day.





"I explain to the ladies my experience. Sometimes they cry and say it's true," Rubeo said.





She now runs support groups for breast cancer patients, talking about health screenings, accompanying women to the hospital and helping them with paperwork. Aside from the pressures of being a busy, working mother, there are language and cultural barriers for Latina women.





"For women we work with, our focus is breast health," said Olivia Fé, founder and executive director
What other factors are there? What are some others factors that could impede on medical care? What are some difficulties for Hispanic women? What type of women learn about breast cancer later?
fear of the results and difficulty scheduling an appointment, difficulty scheduling an appointment, language and cultural barriers, lifestyle choices and lack of Hispanic
question: What other factors are there?, answer: fear of the results and difficulty scheduling an appointment, | question: What are some others factors that could impede on medical care?, answer: difficulty scheduling an appointment, | question: What are some difficulties for Hispanic women?, answer: language and cultural barriers, lifestyle choices and lack of | question: What type of women learn about breast cancer later?, answer: Hispanic