Cancer is a leading cause of death among Indigenous Australians, but fear, stigma and shame mean it is rarely spoken about.

Aboriginal Australians are less likely to be diagnosed with cancer, but significantly more likely to die of the disease.

Often, symptoms and diagnoses are ignored because of the fear surrounding cancer.

Lateline spoke to some Aboriginal people about how they dealt being diagnosed and how they're trying to break down taboos in their communities.

Rodney Graham: Bowel cancer

Rodney Graham had to travel 700 kilometres to be treated for bowel cancer. ( ABC News: Brant Cumming )

Rodney Graham literally ran away from his diagnosis in 2015.

For seven months he didn't go back to his doctor after he was told he had bowel cancer.

Eventually though, he mustered the courage to deal with the diagnosis and get treatment.

He had to travel 700 kilometres from his community of Woorabinda, in central Queensland, to Brisbane to be operated on.

"A big city like that, I don't even like going to [Rockhampton] really. I can't stand Rocky. But Brisbane that was a step up you know," he said.

Cancer in Aboriginal communities: Indigenous Australians have a slightly lower rate of cancer diagnosis than non-Indigenous Australians

Indigenous Australians have a slightly lower rate of cancer diagnosis than non-Indigenous Australians The Aboriginal cancer mortality rate is 30 per cent higher

The Aboriginal cancer mortality rate is 30 per cent higher Indigenous Australians are more likely to be diagnosed when cancer is advanced

Indigenous Australians are more likely to be diagnosed when cancer is advanced They are less likely to participate in cancer screening programs

They are less likely to participate in cancer screening programs Lung cancer is the most common cancer among Indigenous Australians

Now Mr Graham is happy to talk about his illness and wants to help others in his community face up to cancer.

"It might happen to someone else and they say, 'Well we'll go see Rodney, he knows all about it'," he said.

"I'll give them some advice and see how it goes from there."

Mr Graham gave up drinking years ago and he said it probably saved his life.

"I think if I was still drinking I wouldn't be here, you know what I mean," he said.

Colleen Lavelle: Brain tumour

Colleen Lavelle has an inoperable brain tumour. ( ABC News: Barbara Miller )

"I think it was about eight or nine years ago I was diagnosed with a brain tumour," Ms Lavelle said.

"The reason I'm vague on it is I actually don't think it's a day to remember. It's not a celebratory day."

Ms Lavelle's tumour has been deemed inoperable, which means it's considered terminal.

Thinking about her four children motivates her to keep going.

"Who else is going to take care of them?" She said.

"I'll be buggered if I am going to have the [child safety] department or someone like that come in and take care of my kids."

Colleen lives in Brisbane and through her blog she has become a support person for other Aboriginal people facing cancer, helping them with practical matters and being a friendly voice on the other end of a phone line.

She also accompanies some patients to hospital appointments and would like to see it made easier for Aboriginal volunteers to do such work.

"If you come from the Torres Strait and you've come down here and someone's speaking to you really fast, rattling off all these medical things you'll kind of be going, 'what?'," she said.

"If you've got someone, one of your own mob there it makes it easier."

Aunty Tina Rankin: Cervical cancer

Aunty Tina Rankin is a member of the Woorabinda Women's Group. ( ABC News: Brant Cumming )

Aunty Tina has survived cancer, but seen several close relatives succumb to the disease.

"One minute you're sitting down there with that person, that person is so healthy, and then the next time you see them they're that sick, they're that small you can hardly recognise them," she said.

"People think of it as the killer disease.

"They see people in cancer wards and to look at those people it puts them into a depressed state, and they go home thinking that they're going to end up like that."

Aunty Tina said people need to know there is help available for cancer sufferers.

She is part of the Woorabinda Women's Group who are working to raise awareness in the community about cancer so sufferers don't feel isolated.

"When you're well and up and running, you've got that many friends," she said.

"All of a sudden you get sick, you find out you've got cancer, you've got nobody, it feels as if you're on your own.

"There were times when I just wanted to go and commit suicide through the depression.

"But I sit down and think about things, I pull myself out of that deep hole."

Sevese Isaro: Lost his father to cancer

Sevese Isaro said it was hard to cope after his father died from cancer. ( ABC News: Brant Cumming )

Sevese Isaro, or Tatay as he's known locally, is Woorabinda's radio host.

He knows first-hand how hard it can be to talk about cancer, having lost his father to the disease just a few years ago.

"Everyone just tried to stop talking about it," he said.

"I fell back into drinking, everybody just went their own way."

He said many people don't go to the doctor when they suspect they could have cancer.

"They know that there's something wrong with them, but they don't want to go because they're frightened of the answer," he said.

"I guess people once they hear the word cancer they start getting frightened and they automatically give up hope."

Watch the report tonight on Lateline at 9.30pm (AEDT) on ABC News 24 or 10.30pm on ABC TV.