Five months after being diagnosed with breast cancer, Brisbane-based Fa'alele Reekers is thankful for the simple things in each day: her daily affirmations, early morning family prayer and cherishing time with her two grandchildren.

As a Samoan woman who arrived in Australia by way of Aotearoa New Zealand nearly 20 years ago, she says people usually didn't want to speak about cancer.

But she wants to encourage more women to speak out about their health, especially due to the importance of early detection.

"It's kind of tapu, there's a lot of people that don't want to speak about, you know, cancer, especially our Polynesian people," she told ABC Pacific.

"With me, I'm so out there with it because I find that it helps me with what I'm going through, mentally and physically."

Mrs Reekers, who has been documenting her cancer journey through social media, was diagnosed with invasive carcinoma breast cancer in April this year.

"I started experiencing symptoms in August 2023," she said.

At the time, she was busy planning her daughter's wedding in Samoa.

"It wasn't until I felt excruciating pain in my right breast in March ... then I realised I needed to take action immediately."

Taking action meant booking a mammogram., and after two surgeries to remove the disease, Mrs Reekers is currently undergoing rounds of chemo which will be followed up with radiation treatment.

'Ethnic inequities' 

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer for women, including those from Pasifika, Indigenous Australian and Māori communities. In all cases, early detection is key for positive outcomes.

There are also disparities in outcomes when it comes to Pacific women and health, according to research.

Across the ditch, significant inequities in breast cancer outcomes disproportionately affect wāhine Māori and Pacific women in Aotearoa New Zealand. Such inequities include the time to surgery, with these groups more likely to experience delays.

While early detection is key, across the Pacific, many women are hindered from accessing cancer screening practices and don't seek help until it's too late. Then there is the added barrier of access to care.

There is also a misconception that breast cancer only affects older women, but in Papua New Guinea, for example, more than half of women diagnosed are aged under 45.

In Fiji, only 10 per cent of women are diagnosed in the early stages of breast cancer, explained Dr Carol Naidu, research fellow at the Fiji Cancer Society

She said late-stage breast cancer was "undoubtedly a significant issue in Fiji", and by the time it was diagnosed, it was often too late for treatment.

"Our study showed that there is a significant lack of awareness within the Fijian community regarding the signs, symptoms, and risks associated with breast cancer," she said.

"These are accompanied by various misconceptions and deep-rooted beliefs in tradition and culture, which are some barriers to early detection of breast cancer in Fiji.

"Our local epidemiological studies have shown that nearly half of the women diagnosed with breast cancer pass away, primarily due to late-stage diagnosis."

Family conversations

For Mrs Reekers and her father, the cancer diagnosis also brings up other topics like mortality.

Her father, Letogia'i Sauloa Tu'uga Stevenson said death was taboo and that people usually did not want to discuss it.

But after the recent loss of Mrs Reekers's mother and her brother, Unasa Lole Tuuga, to cancer, he said the conversation needed to be normalised.

"We'll leave it to God, that helps," he said.

"I just want [Lele] to be brave and make sure that [she] takes the medication that is recommended by the doctor.

"Be strong. Sometimes when we meet up, it brings sadness. But I know that God helps me to get through these tough times."

Along with her oncologist, breast care team and medical plan in place, Mrs Reekers also emphasises the importance of staying on top of mental wellbeing.

"What keeps me going with dealing with this is my faith," she said.

"Just praying on it and sitting in those silent moments.

"I think mental health is really big when it comes to cancer ... It's readjusting the mind and thoughts to that happy place, to that place of peace."

This article was first published on ABC Pacific.