Australia has one of the highest survival rates of women diagnosed with breast cancer. However, Cancer Australia and its CEO Dr Helen Zorbas recently revealed that unfortunately, there are women who still do not receive the necessary and appropriate medical attention.
“We have really good care for most women with cancer and the breast cancer survival rate is among the best in the world. But we do also know that many women aren’t getting the right information about the best care for them,” Dr Zorbas said.
Why did Cancer Australia release this statement?
We took everything that was published in the literature and we also looked at the data. We brought together the best experts from across the country and brought them together with women who have experienced breast cancer.
That exercise brought everybody together and identified areas of practice that today are still not enough. There is variation across the country and we know now what can we do better. We released a statement which identifies the 12 priority areas of practice and needing to be focused.
What should be done when a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer?
Having the right information that is understandable is really critical to making the right decisions for any individual person with breast cancer.
The important thing for people to do is to take the time to understand the options, to ask questions, to feel confident enough to ask questions, to be aware what option they have. If the person isn’t satisfied, she can seek a second opinion.
Are there any inappropriate practices that are particularly concerning to Cancer Australia?
Many women who have had a mastectomy don’t have the opportunity of having a conversation about the option of the breast reconstruction. And that’s a really important conversation to have because it can have such a significant and powerful impact on woman’s self-esteem and their confidence. We know that across the country, the rates of breast construction vary significantly. Many women don’t have the opportunity to have that conversation.
Another aspect is the follow-up after a woman has been diagnosed and treated for her cancer. It’s recommended to be seen by her doctors on a regular basis for many years. That follow-up has a specific schedule of tests which includes an examination, mammogram or ultrasound, but not other scans or tests on a routine basis.
We do know, however, that many women undergo a number of invasive and extended tests on an annual basis that are not necessary and that could even do harm. Therefore, there’s another area of inappropriate practice that we have highlighted.
How is the statement intended to be used?
We had the overwhelming support of every single clinical college, cancer and consumer organisation across the country. More than 10 presidents of medical colleges attended the launch by the Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
We have confidence that these colleges will take this statement forward to their members. And the consumer organisation will do the same. So, the women will be empowered with information to give them the confidence to have their conversation with their doctors.