Karen Forster has a background in public relations and journalism working in the educational sector until 2004. Diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in 1998 at the age of 41 Karen subsequently became involved as a Consumer Advocate with Breast Cancer Network Australia. In 2005 Karen became the primary carer for her husband after his diagnosis with sino-nasal cancer. He passed away in January 2007. Karen is passionately interested in the impact of a cancer diagnosis on families, particularly as her own family has been significantly impacted by the disease.

From 2002 - 2007 Karen was the State Representative for BCNA in Tasmania. She worked for the Network during 2003 as the Project Officer coordinating the very successful Field of Women in Hobart.

She has been involved on BCNA’s Young Women’s Group, Rural & Remote Working Party; as a consumer representative for National Breast Cancer Centre working parties, as a consumer rep on both Tasmanian Strengthening Support for Women with Breast Cancer Projects.

Karen is also chairperson of the Tasmanian Cancer Control Services Consumer Reference Group.

During 2004 and 2005 Karen represented BCNA as the Asia Pacific consumer representative on ABREAST, an international observational study. She is the facilitator for Cancer Voices Tasmania and a Board Member of the Cancer Council of Tasmania. Karen commenced working for Cancer Screening and Control Services as the Community Education Officer for BreastScreen in 2004, becoming the Policy Officer and Team Leader of the Recruitment Section in late 2006.