Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yesterday all members of the House wore a blue ribbon to raise awareness of ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer has been known over the years as a silent disease, but it is not quite as silent as people think. Women do have symptoms of ovarian cancer—symptoms such as abdominal bloating, feeling full, appetite loss, unexplained weight gain, constipation, heartburn, back pain, frequent urination, abdominal or pelvic pain and fatigue.

The reason that I feel so passionate about this particular form of cancer is that 12 months ago I lost a very dear friend who had ovarian cancer. She did not have it diagnosed until it was too late. She lived for almost five years with the cancer. The five-year relative survival rate has increased. It was 32.7 per cent from 1982 to 1986 and 39.8 per cent from 1998 to 2004.

There is a growing awareness of ovarian cancer. More women are aware that they need to look for these symptoms. It is the ninth most common cancer diagnosed in Australian women, so it is not to be scoffed at. Women should really focus on the symptoms that I mentioned before. If they have any of those symptoms, they should go and see their doctor. It is better to ask about it than to find out when it is too late.

The present life expectancy of Australian women is 83 years. One in 77 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer before the age of 85. In Australia in 2005 a total of 1,205 women were diagnosed with ovarian cancer. It is projected that there will be 1,378 new cases of ovarian cancer in 2010. The older a woman becomes, the more likely she is to develop ovarian cancer. It is the sixth most common cause of cancer death in Australian women. In 2005, 888 women died of this cancer. It is so important for women to listen to their bodies and check to see if they have this cancer. I only wish my friend had done so. (Time expired)