Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Urban Water) Share this | Hansard source

It is with great pleasure that I rise to support this motion in relation to ovarian cancer, and I commend the member for Parramatta for the motion. I wish to begin by remembering a friend of mine from secondary school. Her name was Mandy Mitchell. She was a beautiful, lively, vivacious young woman who had her whole life ahead of her. Not long after leaving secondary school she was struck down by ovarian cancer, and her life was lost at a very early age, within a few short years of leaving school. She was a wonderful woman and she was full of the joy of existence until her final day. That is why this, in particular, is a very important issue for me.

I want to deal with the issue of ovarian cancer in three short stages—the facts, the challenge of responding to it and the steps forward that we can take. The facts are quite confronting. We know that about 1,200 Australian women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year. About 800 Australian women die of ovarian cancer each year. In many situations ovarian cancer is known as the ‘silent killer’, because its symptoms are vague and can be attributed to other conditions, and we might not assume they are associated with such a sinister and dangerous condition. Symptoms can include abdominal bloating, back pain, appetite loss, changes in toileting habits, unexplained weight gain or loss, indigestion or heartburn, and fatigue, all and any of which could be assumed to be other, much milder, less dangerous conditions. Against that background, ovarian cancer is the eighth most common cancer diagnosed in Australian women. It is the sixth most common cause of cancer death in Australian women. It is something which takes mothers and daughters and sisters and wives from those within our midst.

Against that set of facts, one of the great challenges we have in relation to ovarian cancer is that a very high number of Australian women, one in five, cannot name a single symptom. That is not a point of criticism; it is a point of deep concern. Over 60 per cent of Australian women believe a pap test, which is designed to detect cervical cancer, will detect ovarian cancer. I am advised there is currently no effective method of screening women for the early signs of ovarian cancer. However, the outlook is good for those women in whom the disease is caught early. However, three-quarters of women—and this is critical—are diagnosed at an advanced stage when it is difficult to treat.

This brings me to the question of how we proceed. The most important issue here is research. Where possible, education for women is needed to assist them in the search for and early diagnosis of ovarian cancer. Research is critical for providing the knowledge and the education to give people the best chance of catching this condition at the earliest possible stage.

The National Breast and Ovarian Cancer Centre was established in 1995, and I am pleased that in 1999 the previous government provided funding to expand the centre’s work to include ovarian cancer. It was an important step forward. It was not the end of the road; in many ways it was the beginning of a long and important journey, which will help Australia’s women and young girls. The centre works with many people to improve outcomes for women affected by these cancers. Importantly, the report of a Senate inquiry into gynaecological cancers tabled in February last year identified a need for increased awareness of the symptoms and better education for general practitioners. General practitioners do a great job, but the more education we have for women and general practitioners the better. For males, being aware of the symptoms and in a position to tell partners to take note of them and to seek the best advice possible means we have an extremely important role. Ultimately, the role of research and education for the awareness of both women and men is critical. I commend the motion and I remember my friend Mandy Mitchell.

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