Karen McNamara (Dobell, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) Bowel Cancer Australia ran an initiative throughout the month of February titled 'Prevent Bowel Cancer' to raise awareness of bowel cancer and encourage more Australians to screen for the disease with the tagline 'Don't Wait Until It's Too Late';

(b) bowel cancer:

  (i) is the second most common type of newly diagnosed cancer in Australia affecting both men and women almost equally;

  (ii) is Australia's second biggest cancer killer after lung cancer with more than 15,000 Australians diagnosed each year; and

  (iii) claims nearly 4,000 lives every year; and

(c) when found early 90 per cent of bowel cancer cases can be successfully treated;

(2) acknowledges the Government's free National Bowel Cancer Screening Program initiative and the inclusion of people turning the ages of 70 and 74 in the program; and

(3) notes the requirement for greater awareness and promotion of available bowel cancer screening tests and the need for people from age 50 to undertake regular screening to prevent this disease.

In June, we acknowledge Bowel Cancer Awareness Month. This annual initiative of Bowel Cancer Australia raises public awareness of a disease that claims the lives of approximately 80 Australians each week. In February, Bowel Cancer Australia ran an initiative titled, Prevent Bowel Cancer to raise awareness of Bowel Cancer and encourage more Australians to screen for the disease, with the tag line, 'Don't wait until it's too late.'

Bowel Cancer is the second most common type of newly diagnosed cancer in Australia, affecting both men and women. It is Australia's second biggest cancer killer after lung cancer. Tragically, Australia has one of the highest rates of bowel cancer in the world. The lifetime risk of developing bowel cancer before the age of 75 is approximately one in 19 for men, and one in 28 for women. Whilst approximately 80 Australians die each week from bowel cancer, if diagnosed early it is one of the most curable types of cancer.

Eighty per cent of cases have no known hereditary genetic associations, yet for some families the tragedy of bowel cancer repeats through generations. My father-in-law Kevin was only 55 years old when he lost his battle; my sister Kerry was only 39 years old. Watching a loved one struggle to beat this disease is heart-breaking. Kerry was in her prime at 39 with a successful career and future aspirations. In Kerry's situation, the period of time from feeling unwell, diagnosis, surgery and chemo, until she lost her brave battle, was only three months.

Young Central Coast resident Hollie Fielder was 24 when she was diagnosed with bowel and secondary liver cancer. At such a young age, Hollie never thought that for one minute she may have bowel cancer. After living with severe stomach cramps and bloating for two years, Hollie was diagnosed with bowel cancer and advised that she had a five per cent chance of survival. Hollie was given the all-clear in December 2012. I had the privilege of recently speaking with Hollie about her commitment to raising awareness of bowel cancer screening. Since her treatment, this inspirational young women has worked with Bowel Cancer Australia and is one of the faces of the 'You are never too young' campaign. Hollie was recently quoted in the Central Coast Express Advocate as saying, 'I'm trying to put bowel cancer on the radar as I feel that a lot of people get embarrassed about talking about it and consider it to be an older person's disease.' Hollie and I discussed the challenges of removing the perceived embarrassment element of the screening process, and we both agreed that open discussion of bowel cancer should be encouraged within the community.

According to Bowel Cancer Australia, the majority of young Australians diagnosed with bowel cancer are seeking diagnosis too late. Bowel cancer rates doubled in young Australians aged 20 to 29 and have increased 35 per cent in 30- to 39-year-olds in the period 1990 to 2010. This disease does not discriminate and symptoms should not be ignored.

Bowel Cancer Awareness Month has a positive message: saving lives through early detection. While those who have a first degree relative who has been afflicted with bowel cancer are more likely to be aware of the importance of screening. But it is important to note that this accounts for approximately only 20 per cent of cases. Therefore it is important that more Australians be aware of the screening options available and, of course, the symptoms. Australians should also be aware that a number of things, including smoking, high alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, obesity and type II diabetes are increasingly recognised as independent risk factors for bowel cancer.

Screening using a non-invasive test is available through the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program. The National Bowel Cancer Screening Program, introduced in 2006, is helping to save lives every day. The program provides free screening for bowel cancer to eligible Australians, and plans to expand the program are currently underway. By 2020, all Australians aged between 50 and 74 years of age will be offered free screening every two years. This means that about four million Australians will be invited to screen each year, and more than 12,000 suspected or confirmed cancers will be detected each year. According to the Bowel Cancer Australia atlas, for Wyong Shire within the electorate of Dobell in the period 2011-12, of those eligible for screening, 30.6 per cent of males and 35 per cent of females participated. So the challenge is to increase the number of participants. Of screened participants, 7.1 per cent were positively detected.

Without the support of many individuals and organisations that raise funds and awareness, Bowel Cancer Awareness Month and the work of Bowel Cancer Australia would not be possible, and to you all: thank you on behalf of all Australians.

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