Armed with a breast self-examination card, a copy of Our Bodies, Ourselves, and the internet, I sent myself into a major panic a few weeks ago. Luckily, I just happened to have my annual gyno exam set for the following Tuesday, so I didn't have to languish in purgatory for too long before my fears were assuaged.

It turns out I just have kind of hard, lumpy normal breast tissue and that it's uneven--that is, my right breast feels very different from my left breast. I've always used the symmetry rule whenever I've found something irregular on my body, so the dramatic tactile asymmetry of my breasts really freaked my out. The look on my boyfriend's face when I made him feel them both cemented my panic.

The trouble is that until you feel an actual lump, it's hard to understand what "normal" feels like. All the books said it would feel "hard" or "like a marble"—but that's difficult to quantify, especially when you're in a panic. So here's a tip from my doctor. Poke your tongue against your cheek, as shown above. Then feel the outside of your cheek with your fingers. It's hard and doesn't move. That's the kind of feel you'll usually encounter if there's a problem.

On the upside, now I know exactly how my breasts feel, which makes me feel way more confident about early detection. If I had been doing monthly self-exams all along, I could have avoided the whole thing.

Here are some tips and resources to help keep your tits happy. For starters, the National Breast Cancer Foundation features a diagram of how to give yourself a breast exam. For more information, check out our sources: National Breast Cancer Foundation and the National Cancer Institute.

Give yourself a monthly breast self-exam (BSE) and watch for any changes in your breasts that may indicate a problem. Keep in mind that breasts are often different from each other in size and shape, and nearly all develop some degree of lumpiness. Only a small percentage of lumps are malignant.

Changes to Look for:

• A lump, which is usually single, firm and most often painless
• A thickening in the breast
• A portion of the skin on the breast swells and appears different than before
• Veins on the skin surface become more prominent on one breast
• The breast nipple becomes inverted, a nipple rash, a change in the nipple skin texture, or a nipple discharge
• A depression in an area of the surface of the breast
• Remember that almost half of all lumps appear at the top of the breast on the side nearest the armpit, and more often in the left breast than in the right.

The Facts

• Every woman is at risk for breast cancer
• 80% of all women diagnosed with breast cancer have no known risk factors
• At present, one out of 8 women either has or will develop breast cancer at some point during her lifetime
• Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women of all ages, accounting for one out of every three cancer diagnoses
• Nearly 185,000 new cases of breast cancer are expected this year
• Every three minutes a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer
• Every twelve minutes a woman will die of breast cancer
• Breast cancer will claim the lives of 43,500 women this year
• 78% of American women do not practice self-exams and fewer than a third follow recommended guidelines for screening mammography
• 70% of all breast cancers are found through breast self-exams. Not all lumps are detectable by touch, however, which is why regular mammograms in conjunction with a monthly breast self-exam are recommended by the Breast Cancer Foundation
• 8 out of 10 breast lumps are not cancerous. So if you find a lump, don't panic -- call your doctor for an appointment
• Mammography is a simple procedure that can reveal small breast cancers up to two years before they can be felt
• When detected early, the five-year survival rate for breast cancer approaches over 95%. About 2 million breast cancer survivors are alive in America today.
• According to the National Cancer Institute, 60% of the recurrences of breast cancer appear in the first 3 years; another 20% occur in years 4 and 5, so regular check-ups are necessary.

Your Breast Exam and Mammogram Schedule

Age 20 - 30

• Give yourself a monthly breast self-examination (BSE); look for changes in your breasts and report them immediately to your doctor
• Get a clinical breast examination every 3 years

30 - 40

• Continue monthly BSE, and clinical examination every 3 years
• Get a baseline mammogram between the ages of 35 and 40

40 - 50

• Monthly BSE, plus an annual clinical breast examination
• Mammogram every 1-2 years

50 and up

• Annual mammogram for women over age 50

Risk Factors

Family History
Most breast cancers are diagnosed in women with no family history, but if you have a family history of breast cancer, you should talk to your physician. If your mother or sister--or both--have had breast cancer, your estimated risk is 10 to 15 times higher. Breast cancer in a more distant relative, such as a cousin, is not currently considered to be a risk factor.

Early Developers
If you start your period early (before the age of 12), and finish your menopause late (after the age of 55), you're in the high-risk group. Some doctors and medical researchers speculate that the factors that eventually trigger the development of breast cancer begin to work as soon as a girl enters puberty. The process continues until she reaches her early 40s.

Procrastinators
Women who have their first baby after the age of 35 are twice as likely to develop breast cancer as those who give birth while still in their teens. As a matter of fact, postponing childbirth until your 30s seems to be more risky than never having a baby.

Urbanchicks; Cancer survivors; and Rich Bitches
Breast cancer also occurs more frequently among overweight women; city dwellers; and those who have previously had cancer of the (other) breast, ovary, or endometrium (the lining of the uterus). Women from high­income families are also at greater risk, perhaps because they can afford to eat rich, fatty foods that can raise estrogen levels in the body. This female hormone is thought to promote the growth of a breast cancer once it gets started.

Party Girls
One or two drinks a day slightly increases your risk of breast cancer. The more alcohol you drink, the higher your risk.

Pill Heads
There is an increased risk of breast cancer for women under the age of 35 who have been using birth control pills for 10+ years.

All Personal Breast photos by Robyn Eden.