In an effort to educate communities about breast cancer symptoms and treatment options, health workers in the West Rand District are travelling in a mobile clinic to different areas this week.

Today, the clinic was at Bambani Farm in Westonaria and the community benefitted from health education on breast cancer, screening for cervical cancer and other women related illnesses.

In addition to the tests, women were taught how to perform self-breast examination at home so that they can be able to notice early if there are any changes in their breast and seek medical attention.

The mobile clinic will be at Jagfontein Informal Settlement tomorrow and on Wednesday; the health workers will be at Bekkersdal Informal Settlement.

The message emphasised by these health workers, is that the earlier breast cancer is diagnosed, the greater the chances of survival from the disease.

"As the department, we encourage all women to test for breast cancer regularly at home and seek medical assistance if they feel strange lumps," says Department's spokesperson, Simon Zwane.

He adds that the illness does not always affect older women; young women are being diagnosed in their teens, twenties and thirties.