Our study has provided practical insight into the information needs and social support of Chinese women with breast cancer. These findings can be used to inform the development of linguistically and culturally tailored support and survivorship interventions for this vulnerable population.

Understanding the different facilitators and barriers to screening within cultural and ethnic groups is important for developing appropriate education and outreach programs to underserved groups. Qualitative methods were employed to gain a rich understanding of participant views. In-depth interviews were conducted with 18 Chinese Australian women in their native languages and analysed using content analysis. Knowledge of cervical cancer was low, and few participants understood the benefits and purpose of screening. Having a doctor's recommendation was a strong motivator, and returning for screening was encouraged by having a female Chinese doctor perform the exam, receiving a reminder letter and the absence of cost for screening participation. However, participation was inhibited by logistical barriers, cultural beliefs and previous painful screening experiences. A range of multifaceted facilitators and barriers must be considered when developing interventions to increase the rates of cervical screening in this population.

In providing information for Chinese-Australian women with breast cancer, culture, language and migration experience need to be taken into account.

Our findings suggest that the effects of breast cancer screening and other health promotion programmes, which are general and do not take account of cultural variations may be compromised when it comes to cultural minorities. In the case of older Chinese-Australian women, breast cancer screening promotion programmes may overcome acceptance of fatalistic philosophy if they emphasize increased risk following immigration.

Preliminary data suggest that the Chinese Breast Cancer Screening Beliefs Questionnaire is a valid, reliable and culturally sensitive instrument for the measurement of Chinese-Australian women's beliefs, knowledge and attitudes about breast cancer and breast cancer screening.