Two new mobile breast screening units will be accompany health team units during their two year rounds across the state.

According to South Australia Health minister John Hill, the new mobile units replaced units that have been in used for more than 16 years. The mobile units allow BreastScreen SA to conduct medical visits in 26 rural areas every two years.

The 10,000 kilometer across the state medical travel aims to reach more than 30,000 women in rural and remote areas. BreastScreen SA general manager Lou Williamson said, “A recent report celebrating our 20-year history showed that women who have regular screening mammograms through this service have reduced their risk of dying from breast cancer by up to 41 per cent, so it is a high-achieving organisation.”

Williamson urged women aged 50 to 69 years old to take advantage of the state-wide traveling service because early detection of breast cancer was key to successful treatment.

In September 1996, 35 Screening and Assessment Services were made available across Australia. Ninety four of the services were on a fixed location while 27 screening services were mobile.

The national program for breast cancer prevention performed more than two million screening tests in 500 locations. Approximately 570,000 women were screened in 1995 - 1996. More than one third of them came from New South Wales.