(CBS) On The Early Show's HealthWatch segment Monday, Oct. 2, Dr. Emily Senay launched a three-part series on breast cancer awareness. The American Cancer Society estimates that one woman in eight will suffer from breast cancer at some time in her life.

Breast cancer awareness begins with proper screening.

"For the vast majority of women," says Dr. Senay, "screening involves a mammogram, which is basically a set of X-rays of the breast. The procedure takes about 20 minutes from start to finish. Physicians look at those X-rays for abnormalities in the breast tissue. And the reason it's so important is that the earlier a cancer (or even a potential cancer) is found, the easier it is to treat it successfully."

The American Cancer Society urges all women age 40 and older to have a mammogram done once a year, says Dr. Senay. "These annual exams should be done for as long as the woman remains in good health. In addition to the mammogram, women 40 and older should get a clinical breast exam once a year. That's a thorough hands-on physical examination of the breasts by a health professional.

The same advice applies to women who are younger than 40, if they are considered to be at high risk because of family history.

Dr. Senay says that breast cancer is very rare in women under 40, so mammograms for the typical younger woman are considered unnecessary. Still, it's wise for those women to undergo clinical breast exams at least once every three years. That way, any lumps in the breast, or other physical abnormalities, can be found and quickly treated.

During the time between those exams, women of all ages can learn to do self-exams, checking themselves for lumps or other changes in the way their breasts feel to the touch. Self-exams, advises Dr. Senay, can be very valuable between visits to a professional, but they are not a substitute for those visits. Even if you do self-exams, it's still extremely important to be examined by a professional on a regular schedule.

Mammography now has been around for more than 35 years. Is there anything newer or better that women should consider?

There are some more modern imaging techniques, says Dr. Senay. They include MRIs, which combine magnetic fields and radio waves to take a more detailed look at the breast. But they're often reserved for women at higher risk, because they're more expensive and time-consuming, and it's still not clear that they're any better for routine screenings.

Digital mammograms, which create computer-generated images instead of pictures on X-ray film, are also being evaluated. But they're also more costly, and it's too soon to say whether they screen for cancers more effectively.

So, for now, the word to the vast majority of women is: Stick to mammograms on the recommended schedule. They could save your life.

On Tuesday, Oct. 3, in Part Two of The Early Show's series on breast cancer awareness, the focus will be on the latest treatments for women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer.

For more breast cancer information from the American Cancer Society, click here.

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