BREAST exam by your doctor: Your doctor might perform a breast exam on a regular basis as part of breast cancer screening. During the exam, the doctor will look at the breasts and then carefully feel both breasts and the area under both arms.

Most expert groups recommend having a breast exam, along with a mammogram, starting at age 40 to 50.

Breast self-exam: Breast self-exam is a way of finding changes in your own breasts. No study has shown that breast self-exam reduces the risk of dying from breast cancer. Nevertheless, some women feel that doing breast self-exam on a regular basis improves their ability to find changes that would otherwise not have been noticed. Many expert groups encourage breast self-awareness, which includes education about risk factors for breast cancer and what to do if a breast abnormality is detected. Women who want to perform breast self-exams should still continue to get regular mammograms and breast exams by a doctor because they are better screening tests.

The best time to perform breast self-exam is about one week after your menstrual period ends, when the breasts are least lumpy. If you do not have menstrual periods, you can pick one day each month. Here are simple pointers which will guide you into performing a good self breast exam.

Start by standing in front of a mirror. Place both hands at your sides. Check your breasts for changes in skin color or texture, and check for dents. Note how your nipples look. Some women have inverted nipples, meaning that their nipples point inward instead of out. This is normal as long as the way they look does not change over time.

Lift your hands over your head and turn to the side. Then look at each whole breast in the mirror. If you need to, lift each breast so you can see the skin under the breast.

Lie down and put your left hand above your head (this flattens the breast and makes it easier to examine). Use your right hand to examine your left breast, starting in the upper breast near the arm pit and going up and down across the breast (like mowing a lawn). Begin to examine the breast by making small circles with your three middle fingers. Use your finger pads at the end of your fingers but not the tips, and move your fingers in circles as if you were tracing the edge of a dime. At each spot on the breast, make three circles: one very light, one a bit firmer into the breast, and one deep in the breast. Then switch hands and do the same thing on the other breast.

It is normal to feel your ribs in your chest. Abnormal lumps tend to feel firm, have irregular edges, and sometimes feel like they are "stuck" to your chest. If you don't know whether a lump is normal or abnormal, see your doctor. You can always have your doctor also examine your breast for confirming the findings.

Let's keep abreast of breast cancer screening – it is best for your health!