Women in the West diagnosed with breast cancer face extra hurdles during their treatment and recovery. The hurdles include access to public treatment and funds to purchase wigs and prosthetics post treatment.

Western Health Breast Services Clinic makes 120 new diagnoses each year and each week 100 patients pass through the doors including new diagnoses, cancer reviews and benign breast disease.

In 2006, the Western Health BreastWest Committee, comprising Western Health staff, members and business people of the Western Suburbs and the office of Nicola Roxon, Federal Health Minister, was established to raise funds for women in the west with Breast Cancer.

The Committee meet once a month to organise fundraising events, procedures for allocating funds and generating awareness for the cause.

Western Health Breast Cancer Statistics

1. Age of patients - Overall Range 20 - 92, Average 58, Median 57.
By decades (numbers in brackets)
20 - 29 (6), 30 - 39 (35), 40 - 49 (93), 50 - 59 (89), 60 - 69 (73), 70 - 79 (66),
80 - 89 (39) and 90+ (3).

So whilst the median age may be 57, 44% of all patients are aged between 40 - 59.

2. Country of Birth (2006 data only)
The 123 patients in 2006 come from 30 different countries from 5 continents (not North America
or Antartica), 41 or 33% were born in Australia, (9) 7% were born in England, (9) 7% were born in Vietnam, (7) 6% were born in Malta and 5 (4%) came each from Italy, Macedonia and Greece. That means the remaining 42 (35%) patients came from 23 different countries. 19 (15%) needed an interpreter at time of first consultation.

You can help reduce the impact of the disease on women in the West by contributing towards the purchase of an item off the BreastWest Shopping List.