Preventive Measures
A physician usually performs a clinical breast exam during an annual checkup. He or she will first look at your breasts for changes in size or shape and then gently palpate (feel) your breasts. This exam should be performed on women younger than age 40 once every three years. Ask your physician about how you can perform a monthly self-exam. Self-exams should be performed on the same day every month. If you’re still menstruating, choose a day soon after your period, when your breasts aren’t tender or swollen.

Early Detection
A mammogram is an X-ray of the breast used to detect potential problems. Mammograms are generally given to women older than age 40 and to some higher-risk patients as well. Women ages 40 and older should have a mammogram once a year. Ultrasound, which uses sound waves, is another helpful test for detecting breast cancer. These waves bounce off breast tissue, and the information is fed back to a computer, which makes a map of the tissue. An ultrasound can detect whether a lump is a cyst, a fluid-filled noncancerous lump, or a potential solid mass, which may indicate cancer. Biopsy, in which tissue is extracted and tested for cancer, is the next step if a possibly cancerous lump is detected. By regularly using these detection measures, breast cancer usually can be found early, which gives you the best chance for survival. ¶