- Get a mammogram every year.

- Have a clinical breast exam by a doctor or nurse every year.

- Perform a breast self-exam every month.

* The American cancer Society also recommends monthly breast self-exams and clinical exams every three years for women age 20-39.

There is no way to predict who will get breast cancer. Simply being a woman increases the risk. So does age. Women 40 years and older are more likely to develop the disease. That's why it's important to schedule yearly breast screening that includes a mammogram.

A mammogram is an x-ray picture of the breast. It's a way to find cancer that may be too small to be felt by a woman or a doctor. If breast cancer is discovered at an early stage, it is much easier to treat, and a woman has a better chance of recovery.