During this second phase, the Centre will also be seeking support from other sources to complement government funding. With a period of stable funding ahead, the Centre has developed a new Strategic Directions document to guide our work over the next four years. The document incorporates comments and proposals from many individuals and organisations across Australia. Many of the building blocks that will ensure all women receive the best possible diagnosis, treatment, support and information have been set in place. These guidelines form the basis of strategies to change clinical practice and to inform policy development.
Women have access to accurate and detailed information about all aspects of breast cancer.
There are consumer guides available to accompany many of the clinical guidelines with others on the way. Demonstration projects to assist in developing best models of practice in the Australian context have been established. These projects illustrate the implementation of the guidelines, and programs looking at specialist breast nurses and multidisciplinary care are described elsewhere in this report. Comprehensive data about many aspects of breast cancer control are now available and assisting us in understanding the disease and how it impacts on women. These data help to plan more cost-effective programs in breast cancer control, and to monitor our impact on the disease.