Breast screening participation rates by Culturally and Linguistically Diverse women

Why this indicator is important

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in NSW.[1]

• According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare women* with cancers diagnosed by BreastScreen have a 42% lower risk of dying than women with cancer who had never been screened.[2]
• There were 5,839 new cases of breast cancer diagnosed in NSW in 2021, accounting for 26.8% of all cancer cases in women.[2] This percentage was expected to rise to 27.7% in 2023.[2] Breast cancer was expected to account for 12.9% of all cancers diagnosed in NSW in 2023.[2]
• In 2016, 28% of the NSW population was born overseas and one quarter spoke a language other than English at home.[3]
• People from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds in Australia may experience barriers to accessing breast screening facilities including:[4]
  • language
  • lack of familiarity with the Australian Health System
  • lack of awareness of screening programs
  • experiencing lack of understanding from health professionals
  • culturally held attitudes or beliefs about cancer which may influence trust in health professionals and health systems. 
• In 2018, eight out of 10 women who were diagnosed with breast cancer in NSW were aged 50 and over.[1]
• For women 50 years of age and over, a screening mammogram is the most effective method of finding breast cancer early. The smaller the cancer when a woman is diagnosed, the more options she has for treatment and the greater likelihood of long-term survival.[5]

Biennial breast screening participation rate by culturally and linguistically diverse participants aged 50-74, by local health district (ranked), July 2016-2018 and July 2021-June 2023

About this indicator

This indicator shows the biennial breast screening participation rate^† for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse participants aged 50–74, by NSW local health district:

• From July 2021–June 2023 34.7% (N=286,572)^‡ of eligible individuals participated in biannual breast screening.
  • Western Sydney LHD, 60.8% (n=719) exceeded the next highest ranked LHD screening rate by over 15%.

N = Number of culturally and linguistically diverse women aged 50 to 74 years in population, July 2021–June 2023.

* While data presented in this section specifically refers to cisgender women (i.e. women whose sense of personal identity and gender corresponds with their birth sex), not everyone with a cervix and/or breasts is a woman, and cervical and breast cancer screening is important for everyone with a cervix and/or breasts including transgender and non-binary people.

^†Participation rate has recently changed due to re-baseline of the population to Census 21.

^‡In response to the impact of COVID–19, BreastScreen NSW (BSNSW) suspended screening on 27 March 2020. Screening resumed in two Screening and Assessment Services (SAS) on 13 May 2020, and in all SAS on 18 May 2020. BreastScreen NSW services were also progressively suspended services from June 2021, with all Services closed from 19 August 2021. Several services recommenced screening on 13 September 2021, and all services were operational by 22 November 2021

Notes

1. Data source: BreastScreen NSW (population data are sourced from SAPHARI, Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence, NSW Ministry of Health)

References

1. NSW Cancer Incidence and Mortality Dataset, 2021.

2. Cancer Institute NSW. Cancer type summary dashboard [Internet]. Sydney: Cancer Institute NSW, 2022 [cited 11^th March 2024]. Available from: https://www.cancer.nsw.gov.au/research-and-data/cancer-data-and-statistics/data-available-now/cancer-statistics-nsw/cancer-incidence-mortality-survival

3. NSW Health. NSW Plan for Healthy Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Communities: 2019-2023. Sydney: NSW Health, 2019.

4. Phillipson L, Larsen-Truong K, Jones S, Pitts L. Improving cancer outcomes among culturally and linguistically diverse communities: a rapid review. An Evidence Check review brokered by the Sax Institute for the Cancer Institute NSW Sax Institute: Haymarket. 2012 Dec.