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The goal is to find cancers before they symptoms begin. Most doctors feel that tests for finding breast cancer early save many thousands of lives each year.

Mammograms, clinical exams and regular breast self exams (BSEs) play a key role in early breast cancer detection and can help decrease breast cancer deaths.

A mammogram is a black-and-white image of your breast used to screen for breast cancer. During a mammogram, your breasts are compressed between two firm surfaces in order to spread out the breast tissue. Then, an X-ray captures images of your breasts which a doctor can use to detect cancer. A mammogram can be used either for screening or for diagnostic purposes.

How often you should have a mammogram depends on your age and your risk of breast cancer. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force started a firestorm in 2009 when it recommended bi-annual breast cancer screenings for women 50 and older. Previously, the recommendation had been for women between 40 and 49. Since, many organizations — including The American Cancer Society — have come forward urging women to start mammogram screenings in their 40s.

Another way to detect breast cancer is through a breast exam. Your gynecologist and primary care physician will give you a clinical breast exam during a yearly or annual exam. In between clinical exams, regular self breast exams are recommended.

When giving a SBE, it is important to know what a healthy breast feels like, so you can detect the difference. A healthy breast contains both glandular tissue — which is primarily felt in the upper, outer part of the breast and usually feels firm and rope-like, bumpy or lumpy — and surrounding fat tissue, which is often felt in the inner and lower parts of the breast, and is soft. Breast tissue changes as you age, typically becoming more fatty and less dense over time.

However, if you find a lump in breast tissue that's new or unusual, feels different from breast tissue in either breast, is new and doesn't go away after your next period, or has gotten bigger, it is recommended that you consult a doctor.

Other symptoms or signs of breast cancer can include: bloody discharge from your nipple, skin changes on your breast, and a nipple which suddenly turns inward, or inverts.

For more information, look to BreastCancer.org.

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