Your doctor recommends it, your friends say they do it, and the magazines write endlessly about it, so every few months you try to do it, too. "It," of course, is the breast self-exam.

But always the questions linger: What exactly am I looking for? What happens if I feel something? Does this bump mean I have breast cancer? Let's take a deep breath and review.

The self-exam is the only way you're going to learn the nuances of your breast tissue. It's like learning the landscape of your neighborhood: there's a field over there, a wooded thicket right here, and ah, yes, that uphill hike there.

At your annual check-up, your doctor will most likely also perform a clinical breast exam - the only difference being that the person performing the exam is a medical provider.

A breast self-exam starts in front of the mirror. First, look at your breasts to see how symmetrical they are to one another. Next, lean forward from the waist to see if the symmetry is maintained in that position.

Now, choose one breast to examine and place the hand on that side behind your neck. With the fingers of your other hand, gently but firmly press and probe all the tissue in a circular motion, from the outside rim to the nipple. Last, switch sides and examine the other breast.

What are you looking for? If you notice any of the following, make an appointment with your doctor to check it out:

• Lumps or bumps that are new, possibly feeling like a rubbery pea
• Any rashes, dimpling, or pulling
• Asymmetry, other than a small difference in size between the left and right breasts
• Any nipple discharge

When you go for your appointment, your doctor will ask you some questions:

• When did you first notice the lump or other finding?
• Have you had any other breast symptoms or previous breast concerns?
• What's your menstrual cycle like-regular, irregular, non-existent?
• Is the lump or bump causing any pain? 
• Have you had any fevers, sweats, or weight loss of late? 
• Is there a family history of breast cancer?

Your doctor will repeat the exam and ask you to point out the place that concerns you.

If there is a palpable nodule, then your doctor will probably order an ultrasound as well as a guided biopsy called a fine-needle aspiration (FNA). The FNA collects cells for examination under a microscope by a pathologist to see if any of them are cancerous. This can be a stressful time because the ultrasound results may take a week or so to schedule and about two weeks for the pathology results from the FNA.

Even when there isn't a palpable lump, your doctor may still schedule you for a diagnostic mammogram. If there are worrisome findings on this x-ray test, a biopsy will be arranged to explore deeper to try to find the cause of your lump or other abnormality.

Of course, a woman's greatest fear going through this evaluation is a diagnosis of cancer. Relax! There are many reasons besides cancer why you might develop a lump in your breast - most often, the lump turns out to be a cyst or benign lump called a fibroadenoma.

And if cancer is discovered, you'll probably be thankful that the exam led to an earlier diagnosis than might have been possible had you never done a breast self-exam. The earlier breast cancer is diagnosed, the less time it will have to spread and the more likely it will be easily treatable with surgery or other treatments that will increase your chances of being cancer-free in the future.