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BCNA WELCOMES CANCER AUSTRALIA
STATEMENT TO DRIVE HIGH QUALITY BREAST
CANCER EXPERIENCE ACROSS THE COUNTRY
BCNA MEDIA RELEASE
24 October 2016
Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA) welcomes the release of the Cancer Australia Statement influencing best practice in breast cancer that aims to identify and influence best practice in breast
cancer treatment and care across Australia.
The Statement complements existing clinical practice guidelines highlighting a person-centered
approach to care that allows women to make evidence-based decisions about which treatment
options are right for them.
The Statement encourages everyone involved in a woman’s care to ensure quality of life and
wellbeing are central to decision making. Treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy and
radiotherapy for breast cancer can have long lasting impacts on women so it is essential that all
women have the opportunity to discuss with their doctors what is important to them.
Some of the practices included in the Statement include recommendations that it is important to:
 Discuss fertility preservation and family planning for young women prior to treatment
 Offer genetic counselling and genetic testing to women with a high familial risk at the time they
are diagnosed with cancer, to assist them with treatment decision-making
 Offer shorter, more intense courses of radiotherapy (hypofractionated radiotherapy) to women
where appropriate
 Offer shared follow-up care between a woman’s specialist and GP to allow more accessible
care that focuses on the overall health of the woman.
Kathy Wells, Head of Policy, Research and Advocacy at Breast Cancer Network Australia, said that
the release of the Statement represents the importance of bringing together key stakeholders in
breast cancer care, including women affected by breast cancer, to collaboratively work towards
delivery of high quality care for all Australians diagnosed with breast cancer
“BCNA has been an active participant in the development of the Statement right from the very
beginning,” Kathy said. “Cancer Australia invited us to appoint two of our trained Consumer
Representatives to the working group that developed the Statement. They worked with Cancer
Australia and BCNA to ensure that issues that are important to our members are reflected in the
Statement.”
BCNA hopes the Statement will drive practice change so that all Australian women receive the
information and support they need to work through complex and sensitive treatment decisions.
Breast surgeon and BCNA Board Member Professor Bruce Mann said Australia has one of the
highest survival rates for breast cancer in the world but there is more that can be done to ensure
women across the country are getting the information they need about options that are right for
them.
“The Statement is intended to complement relevant clinical practice guidelines and highlight what
‘ought to be done’ in breast cancer care,” Professor Mann said. “It also identifies some practices for
which there is not good evidence and which should therefore not be offered, such as body scans as
part of routine follow up care for early breast cancer. We hope that this will help women to
understand why these tests are not routinely recommended.”
BCNA hopes that the Statement will empower women diagnosed with breast cancer to make
informed evidence-based decisions in partnership with their health professionals.
BCNA is pleased to endorse the Cancer Australia Statement – influencing best practice in breast
cancer and will be communicating the practices to our members and reflecting them through our
resources, website, social media and other channels.
BACKGROUND
For media enquiries please contact:
Penelope Davies | BCNA Media Manager| 0409 385 358 | [email protected]
About Breast Cancer Network Australia:
Breast Cancer Network Australia is the peak national organisation for Australians personally affected
by breast cancer, and consists of a network of more than 120,000 individual members and 300
Member Groups.
BCNA supports, informs, represents and connects Australians affected by breast cancer. BCNA
works to ensure that Australians affected by breast cancer receive the very best support,
information, treatment and care appropriate to their individual needs.
Visit www.bcna.org.au to find out more about our programs and services, including the free My
Journey Kit for women newly diagnosed with breast cancer.