Biggest breast cancer study: 100,000 women

About 100,000 women will be sought to take part in Australia’s biggest in-depth study of breast cancer.

The study is aimed at helping to improve prevention and treatment of breast cancer.

It should improve surveillance for Australian women most at risk of breast cancer. It should also improve clinical practice, risk identification and follow-up services for women.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This is a time to promote awareness of breast cancer – which remains the most common cancer among Australian women, with about 12,000 new cases diagnosed each year.

The Australian Government and the National Breast Cancer Foundation will each contribute $2.5 million towards the project.

Researchers worldwide are expected to benefit from the study’s extensive research data about the progression of breast cancer. This collaboratively funded study will be a first for breast cancer research in Australia. No comparable studies have been completed nationally.

During the project, the study will recruit women throughout Australia to provide information for the researchers.

The foundation will partner with Cancer Australia, business and the community to fund the research. The foundation is a not-for-profit organisation that has promoted and supported breast cancer research for the past 14 years, funding 168 projects.

The Government has acted to support breast cancer sufferers on a number of fronts, including:

• $400 Medicare reimbursements for external breast prostheses 
• $12 million to increase the number of breast cancer nurses in rural and regional areas 
• $15 million funding to support the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Centre

(Source: Department of Health and Ageing: October 2008)