Gov. Linda Lingle announced tonight that she does not have breast cancer following a biopsy last week.

Lingle had the biopsy at the recommendation of a doctor after a routinely scheduled mammogram in January and November.

The governor underwent the biopsy under light anesthesia at The Queen's Medical Center and was released from the hospital after two hours. Lingle is encouraging all women to have routine health checkups.

Lingle, 55, is a regular swimmer and is considered in good health. She is a former smoker who has spoken publicly about the difficulty of quitting, but does not have a history of cancer in her family.

In 2002, Lingle had a biopsy at Maui Memorial Hospital after a routine mammogram suggested an abnormality in her right breast. The biopsy found "atypical cells" but no cancer. She had a second biopsy later that year at Kapiolani Breast Center at the recommendation of a doctor after a mammogram but that also was negative for cancer.

According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women after skin cancer. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death from cancer among women after lung cancer.

Risk factors for breast cancer include older age, a family history of the disease, radiation therapy, dense breast tissue, obesity and drinking alcohol.