Breast cancer remains the second-leading cause of cancer death among women, according to the American Cancer Society. Part of the awareness is what women should look out for, in between their screenings at the doctor's office. Namely, the self-breast exam. The self-breast exam can be helpful, but it should not be the only screening method for breast cancer. The American Cancer Society does not recommend clinical and self-breast self-exams as a primary screening method or as a routine part of the screening schedule. But they do recommend it to raise breast awareness.