One of the most frustrating fear-fuelling issues surrounding breast cancer is that of the mythology that has grown around the bare, hard facts of what breast cancer really is. This is why ABC is tackling the issue of empowering people to ask their doctors about anything and everything they need answers to.

Patients need to know – and have the right to – as many breast cancer facts and as much information they need, in order to feel empowered to make decisions about how they will understand and live with their cancer. The general trend seems to be that patients don’t ask their questions – either because they don’t know they can and should, or because there is a language and/cultural barrier where the patient feels inadequate or afraid to raise their voice in questions and concerns. The questions that beg asking are:

• Do our government patients know they can…