Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Encouraging Breast Screening Among Multicultural Communities

Women from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds are less likely to participate in cancer screening programs, which can lead to higher cancer incidence and mortality.

In the Central and Eastern Sydney PHN (CESPHN), only 40.3% of CALD women aged 50-74 participate in breast screening, with lower rates among Vietnamese women (37%) and both Arabic and Greek women at 32%.

Given that 1 in 7 women in NSW will be diagnosed with breast cancer, it is crucial to encourage higher participation rates among Multicultural Communities.

General practitioners play a key role in guiding patients through the breast screening pathway. Women are more likely to undergo screening when their GP recommends it. By encouraging breast screening, providing clinical advice and managing patients with increased risk or symptoms, GPs help patients to make informed decisions about their health.

BreastScreen NSW offers a free, high-quality service for women from diverse cultural and language backgrounds, with resources available in multiple languages.

Interpreters can be accessed through the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) Doctors Priority Line at 131 450.

By championing breast screening, GPs can make a significant impact on reducing breast cancer incidence and mortality among Multicultural women!

Breast Screening and You Factsheet available in 27 languages.