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A National Breast Cancer Foundation survey of 1003 respondents found widespread underestimation of breast cancer diagnoses, recurrence and daily deaths, as experts and a Sydney mother of two call for greater awareness and research funding.
A new survey has found widespread public misunderstanding of breast cancer, with about nine Australians dying from the disease every day and roughly 20,000 diagnosed each year, according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.
The survey of 1003 respondents was funded by the NBCF as part of its Breast Cancer Awareness Month campaign, Unfinished Stories. The results revealed a disconnect between public perception and the reality of breast cancer today. It found that 64 per cent underestimated the number of people diagnosed each year, 84 per cent underestimated the likelihood of recurrence and spread, and 51 per cent underestimated the number of Australians who die from breast cancer each day.
Personal experience challenges age perceptions
Additionally, nearly two-thirds, or 64 per cent, now see breast cancer as more manageable than other cancers, and over half, or 53 per cent, believe treatment advances have fundamentally altered public perceptions of the disease. Sydney mother of two Chontaine Adair, 33, was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer in 2025. Before her diagnosis, she had a very different perception of the disease.
I just did not think it could happen at my age, and I had a mindset that it could not happen to me, says Adair. Adair is pictured with her husband Landis and their daughters Paisley, 7, and Xanthie, 6. She says this misconception was partly shaped by age-specific cancer-screening advice.
I did not know anyone in their early thirties with breast cancer, and any ads regarding checks like mammograms show older women and even mention that if you are a certain age, get tested, and this age was always older, she explains. They were not directed to younger women.
Research progress highlights perception gaps
Dr Cleola Anderiesz, chief executive of the NBCF, believes the findings reflect progress achieved through decades of research, including reducing Australia's breast cancer death rate by more than 40 per cent over the past three decades. She says they also highlight a perception gap. Research has transformed breast cancer outcomes. Yet breast cancer remains one of our most significant health challenges, she says.
The biggest gaps we are seeing are around the scale and ongoing impact of breast cancer. Many people underestimate how many people are diagnosed each year, approximately 20,000, how likely breast cancer is to return or spread, and how many lives are still lost to the disease every day, approximately nine, Anderiesz says.
Specialist breast cancer surgeon Dr Chantel Thornton, who was not involved in the research, says that among her patient cohort, predominantly premenopausal women, it is very uncommon for them not to take the diagnosis seriously, but that some do underestimate the disease. Patients may underestimate the fact that breast cancer can metastasise to other organs, and therefore it is harder to treat them for a cure, Thornton says.
She adds that some people do not understand that all breast cancers are not the same and different subtypes can infer different survival. A lack of understanding, or incorrect perception, can pose a range of risks at the individual level. When people underestimate the seriousness of breast cancer, they may also underestimate the importance of breast awareness, screening and seeking medical advice about breast changes, says Anderiesz.
Metastatic cancer demands continued research investment
It can also have a much broader effect, particularly in supporting ongoing research into the disease. Breast cancer still remains the second leading cause of cancer death in Australian women, says Professor Belinda Parker, an NBCF-funded researcher at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. Breast cancer is not just one disease; it changes.
Everyone has their own individual cancer, and so some people have a type of cancer that has a very poor survival rate, and we cannot forget about those women, Parker says. Parker says continued investment in research is critical to build on the progress made and to investigate other areas of breast cancer that have not received as much attention.
We have not really made a big dent in women who get metastatic cancer, so when their cancer has spread to other sites, we also have not really made a big difference for treating diseases that have spread to the bone, she says. What we really need to do is focus on either preventing the deadly types of breast cancer or being able to target them head-on, and that is where research is critical, Parker says.
Adair recognizes importance of cancer research
Now, nearly a year after Adair's diagnosis, following radiation and ongoing hormone-targeted treatment, her mindset and perception of breast cancer have changed. I know now that it can happen to anyone at any age, and I now know breast cancer looks different for everyone, and that different types require different treatments, she says. Another key takeaway for Adair is that she now recognises the benefits of cancer research firsthand.
My targeted therapy is the result of research, and hopefully more treatment options will be developed by research in the future to help me give me time to watch my girls grow up, and others live long, healthier lives.
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theage:Nine Australians die of breast cancer every day. So why do we underestimate the disease? 
brisbanetimes:Nine Australians die of breast cancer every day. So why do we underestimate the disease?This story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
National Breast Cancer Foundation Survey Metastatic Breast Cancer Breast Cancer Awareness Cancer Research Funding National Breast Cancer Foundation Australia Cancer Statistics
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