Improving Breast Cancer Care for Women from Migrant and Refugee Backgrounds

By Dr Jasmina Kevric, Specialist Breast Surgeon

As a breast cancer surgeon, I have witnessed first-hand how profoundly outcomes can differ for women depending on their language, cultural background, and migration experience. Women from migrant and refugee backgrounds often face delayed diagnosis, reduced access to screening, and fragmented treatment pathways, not because of a lack of willingness to engage with healthcare, but because of systemic and communication barriers embedded within it.

One of the most significant challenges is language. Even with interpreter services available, they are not always used consistently, and medical information can be complex, emotionally loaded, and difficult to translate in real time. This can lead to misunderstandings about diagnosis, treatment options, and consent. Cultural beliefs also play a major role; in some communities, there may be stigma around cancer or a preference for family-mediated decision-making, which can unintentionally delay urgent care.

Access is another critical issue. Refugee and newly arrived migrant women may not be familiar with preventive screening programs such as mammography, or may not prioritise their own health due to competing social and economic pressures. Navigating referral systems, costs, and specialist pathways can feel overwhelming without culturally safe guidance.

To improve outcomes, we must design healthcare systems that actively remove these barriers rather than expect patients to overcome them.

This includes:

• embedding trained medical interpreters into every stage of care,

• improving culturally responsive education around breast cancer,

• ensuring outreach programs are delivered in trusted community settings.

• collaboration with multicultural health workers and community leaders is essential in building trust and awareness.

Clinicians also need ongoing training in cultural safety not as an optional extra, but as a core competency. Importantly, we must listen more deeply to patients’ lived experiences and adapt care pathways accordingly.

Equity in breast cancer care is not achieved through access alone, but through understanding. When we create systems that recognise and respond to diversity, we move closer to truly person-centred care for all women.