BreastScreen SA is South Australia’s dedicated breast cancer screening program, providing free screening mammograms (breast X-rays) every 2 years to women aged over 40. Our state-wide service screens around 100,000 women each year, aiming to detect breast cancer at an early stage, often before it can be felt. This improves the treatment options and health outcomes for our clients, their families and communities.

We use a population-based screening model to deliver our service; we actively invite women in the target age group of 50 to 74 who have no symptoms of the disease to participate regularly in screening. By using screening mammography, we can compare and identify small changes in breast tissue that may be early signs of breast cancer.

As a dedicated breast cancer screening service, BreastScreen SA’s highly specialised team of breast-specialist radiologists, radiographers, medical professionals and administration experts are committed to delivering a warm, welcoming, caring service that is tailored to our clients and their needs. Each screening mammogram is independently read by at least 2 radiologists, meaning women receive the highest standard of care possible when screening with us.

Beginning in January 1989 as the first pilot study in Australia, BreastScreen SA now forms part of the BreastScreen Australia program. It is jointly funded by both the South Australian Department of Health and Wellbeing and the Federal Government Department of Health and operates within the Central Adelaide Local Health Network. BreastScreen SA is accredited in line with BreastScreen Australia’s comprehensive National Accreditation Standards.

BreastScreen SA has a single, centrally-located State Coordination Unit (SCU) in Adelaide. There are 8 fixed screening clinics in metropolitan Adelaide, and 3 mobile screening units that visit more than 36 rural and outer metropolitan locations, every 2 years.

If a client needs further tests to investigate a change in her breast tissue, she is invited to our dedicated Assessment Clinic, which is co-located with the SCU in Adelaide. Of the 3500 women assessed each year, around 750 will be diagnosed with breast cancer.

In 2019, BreastScreen SA celebrated 30 years of providing breast cancer screening services to women living in South Australia, and in 2020 we celebrated our 2 millionth breast screen.