Participatory research in breast cancer: a case study in regional Victoria.

While participatory research is now strongly advocated as progressive, ethical and useful, consultation with participants and other stakeholders can raise issues which compromise research or which create conflicting choices in research protocols. This paper discusses some of the issues raised by a participatory research project undertaken to assess the needs of women with breast cancer in northern Victoria. The participatory process has meant that despite some compromises, there were positive outcomes from the research process that would not have otherwise been achieved.