Survivor shares struggle of cancer in the country

New research from Cancer Council Queensland has surfaced saying for women living in western and northern Queensland, breast cancer rates have increased.

South Burnett McGrath Foundation nurse Sue Cox. Picture: Claudia Williams

BREAST cancer survivor Sue Cox is working in the South Burnett as the McGrath Foundation breast care nurse to provide rural women with more support.

"When you live rurally you have less access to medical services. This is a huge issue,” Mrs Cox said.

When diagnosed, women from western QLD have to relocate to urban centres for treatment.

"People who live in the country don't want to leave their support networks at home behind. Not only do they have to stay in unknown places for extended periods of time but they are on their own and quite unwell,” Mrs Cox said.

"This is more expensive as well.

"Having this time away from their families, their land, and their work is a big ask and really hard.”

New research from Cancer Council Queensland has surfaced saying for women living in western and northern Queensland, breast cancer rates have increased by an average of eleven per cent.

Cancer Council Queensland CEO Chris McMillan said this research will prove fundamental in shaping how they go about improving cancer rates in specific regions.

Mrs Cox says women living in western QLD already face more challenges when diagnosed with breast cancer.

Mrs Cox believes Western QLD has seen an increase because rural communities have been working to provide more screen testing than ever before.

"We are now finding smaller cases a lot earlier. This could mean the difference between earlier treatment and surviving. But, it could also make it seem like we have more victims than before,” Mrs Cox said.

Mrs Cox is working with the McGrath Foundation to make rural women more aware of their lifestyles and risk levels.

"If we can help women to reduce their risk then we can save lives,” Mrs Cox said.