Women aged 20 or older should perform a breast self-examination every month. By doing the exam regularly, you get to know how your breasts normally feel and you can more readily detect any change. But remember that most of the time these breast changes are not cancer. A mammogram is an x-ray of the breast. The breast is compressed to flatten and spread the tissue.
Some women experience slight discomfort, but the compression only lasts a few seconds.
A mammogram cannot prove that an abnormal area is cancer. That takes a biopsy, removing a small amount of tissue and examining it under a microscope. Clinical breast exams are done by a health-care provider, such as physician, nurse practitioner, nurse or physician's assistant. This exam requires you to undress from the waist up. Using the pads of the fingers, the examiner will gently feel your breasts.