MEDIA RELEASE	Media embargo – 9 December 2009
Tougher for young breast cancer survivors (170 words)
Rural and regional young women find life after breast cancer diagnosis more difficult than their older counterparts.
This is the finding of a study published in the December issue of Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health.
The study also found that fewer rural women participated in breast cancer programs and tended to only receive chemotherapy, rather than a combination of treatments.
Dr Monika Janda and her colleagues at Queensland University of Technology looked at the health-related quality of life of rural and regional women a year after breast cancer diagnosis.
“These results reaffirm that younger women have more difficulty adjusting to disease than older women,” said Dr Janda. 
“They also underscore the importance of supporting and promoting regional and rural breast cancer programs that are designed to improve physical functioning, reduce stress and provide psychosocial support following diagnosis.”
“Programs that effectively address these issues may prove beneficial to all breast cancer survivors, although they tend to be more challenging to implement in non-urban locations where they are clearly needed.”
ENDS
For more information about this research, contact the research author: 
Dr Monika Janda, School of Public Health, Queensland University of Technology, Victoria Park Road, Kelvin Grove, Queensland, 4059. 
Phone: (07) 3138 3018, or 0402027021; e-mail: t.disipio@qut.edu.au
MEDIA ONLY: To receive a PDF of the paper or for more information about ANZJPH, contact: Bridget Hooper ANZJPH Administration 
Ph: (03) 9329 3535 E-mail: bridget.hooper@substitution.com.au
The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health is published by the Public Health Association of Australia. Information on the Association and the Journal can be found at http://www.phaa.net.au