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

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women in Australia. One in eight women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime. Currently 36 women in Australia are diagnosed with breast cancer every day. In 2012, 14,610 women are predicted to be diagnosed with breast cancer. By 2020, 17,210 women are predicted to be diagnosed with breast cancer every year in Australia. This is an average of more than 47 women a day. Increasing age is one of the strongest risk factors for developing breast cancer. More than two in three cases of breast cancers occur in women aged between 40 and 69 years. On average, seven women die from breast cancer every day in Australia.

Finding breast cancer early increases the chance of surviving the disease. Improvements in survival are attributed to early detection of breast cancer through regular mammograms and improved treatment outcomes for breast cancer. Australian women diagnosed with breast cancers have an 89 per cent chance of surviving five years after diagnosis.

Last Tuesday I held a breast cancer morning tea at the Windale-Gateshead Bowling Club. On that morning we raised over $400, and we had pretty close to 100 women in attendance. We had fantastic speakers. We had Judy Jobling, who is a PhD student. She talked about her research into breast density. Julie Wilson, who is an assistant designated radiographer, spoke about myth busting and the screening process. Jeanette Johnston, who is a breast cancer survivor, bravely shared her experience with us there on the morning. She was not the only survivor present. There were a number of women who had had breast cancer. I think the most poignant story shared with me was from a woman who had been diagnosed three weeks earlier. She was waiting to have surgery. She is going to have surgery on 21 November because she has heart complications and a number of other issues. I think she was very brave to attend the morning tea, and I also believe that she learnt a lot there and felt the support of all those present.

In addition, we had the Hunter Breast Cancer Foundation. It is a not-for-profit organisation. The women from that organisation came along in great numbers to provide support for the breast cancer morning tea. The primary role of the foundation is to offer newly diagnosed women support during their treatment. It was really wonderful to be able to connect the lady who had recently been diagnosed with breast cancer, who was about to undergo surgery and go through that long treatment regime, with the Hunter Breast Cancer Foundation. They were very supportive.

Hunter BreastScreen is a fantastic organisation. I regularly have my breast-screening mammogram, and two years ago I had a recall. When I had the recall I just thought that I had moved during the mammogram or that there was a mistake or something like that, so I ducked back. When I arrived, I was taken into a little anteroom, and there was a breast counsellor nurse who spoke to me, reassured me and went through the whole process. I had a support person appointed for the day, and then I went into a room and there were about 10 other women in the room.

I then went through a process of having a second mammogram and an ultrasound. I was lucky because I had no problems at all, and in fact 90 per cent of women who are recalled for a breast screening are found to have no problem whatsoever with their breasts.

Hunter BreastScreen is a wonderful service. I encourage all women to make sure that they have regular mammograms, because 90 per cent of people, when they are recalled, do not have a problem. But, if you do not have the screening, you do not know whether you have a problem. (Time expired)

Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I commend the member for Shortland not only on this motion but also on the speech she has just given and, especially, on her courage in being able to deal with her experiences. I think that I can safely say that all members of this House will support the motion. We all need to talk about breast cancer. One day it could impact any of us, and that is why we need to ensure that the dialogue continues around doing all that we can to overcome this insidious disease. Glenn McGrath showed, by his tireless work along with his wife Jane, that fighting breast cancer requires ongoing work and ongoing funding, and it is very timely that this motion has been brought forward by the member for Shortland.

Only a couple of weeks ago I committed along with five friends to do our little bit to raise awareness about and funds for breast cancer. This commitment came about because a fellow by the name of Pete Delany decided that something needed to be done to try to help—and, rather than talk about it, he decided to do something. So David 'Speed' Robertson, Hamish Officer, Bernie Grant, Nick Finnegan and me have set up a group called Doing the Breast We Can! We are going to contribute to increasing awareness of and raising funds for breast cancer. We will do this by running from Mount Sturgeon to the Star. It is quite a distance to run—from Dunkeld to Port Fairy. It is over 100 kilometres, and the reason we are doing it is that we want to raise not only awareness about breast cancer but also money for the McGrath Foundation. The wife of Hamish Officer has been battling breast cancer. I noted that this year the theme of Breast Cancer Awareness Month is 'strength within', and the way that she has dealt with breast cancer is epitomised by the theme for this month—'strength within' sums up her battle and how she has coped with it. Pete Delany lost his grandmother to breast cancer, and Pete Delany's wife Anna also lost her mother to breast cancer. So, among the six of us, the impact of breast cancer has been felt directly.

I call on all those in my electorate of Wannon and elsewhere to help support us in this venture; it would be greatly appreciated. We need to make sure that we continue to do ongoing work. As the member for Shortland mentioned, when you look at the statistics around this disease you see that they are quite staggering. Thirty-six women a day are diagnosed with breast cancer, and, sadly, seven Australian women lose their lives to breast cancer each day. These are staggering statistics, and we need to address them and make sure that we do all we can to lower the toll which this deadly disease takes from the Australian community.

I will just conclude by saying congratulations again to the member for Shortland for putting this motion forward. I congratulate her for the honesty of her speech. I, along with all members of the House, stand ready to support her on this motion. (Time expired)

Maria Vamvakinou (Calwell, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I too want to congratulate the member for Shortland for giving the House an opportunity to acknowledge that 22 October is Pink Ribbon Day. On this day each year we all pause to note that the rate of breast cancer amongst women continues to increase and the disease still remains the second leading cause of cancer related deaths in Australia. In noting this fact, we also pause to remember those women, whether they be family, close friends or even those unknown to us, who have lost their lives to breast cancer. We pause to remember the lives they lived. We stand in solidarity with their friends and loved ones, but we also pause to give moral support to those women who are currently dealing with breast cancer.

We also acknowledge those women who have survived breast cancer, because despite the increase in breast cancer diagnosis the good news is that so too is there a significant increase in the survival rate of women with breast cancer. To this we owe a great debt to the gifted minds who make up the medical and scientific research community who persevere with amazing dedication in their pursuit of the ultimate breakthrough, and that is of course a cure for cancer related disease and, in this instance, a cure for breast cancer. We acknowledge that Australian doctors and scientists have been at the forefront of medical breakthroughs such as vaccines and other medications, but they have also been at the forefront of preventative measures and screening procedures that are critical to the overall survival rates of people who contract cancer generally and breast cancer specifically.

So 22 October is the standard-bearer of the entire month of October, which is dedicated to breast cancer awareness on an international scale. I have spoken many times in this House about breast cancer and in the course of my parliamentary career I have always focused on playing my role in the critical area of awareness and prevention. In particular I have concentrated on addressing barriers to awareness, which is critical to screening and early detection. I am all too aware of language and cultural barriers that can and do prevent women from taking the necessary steps to protect themselves through the early diagnosis of breast cancer, because one thing is for certain: with this particular condition, early detection is paramount to long-term survival. So access and equity is a fundamental principle that does and should continue to underlie policy and service in this area.

Last year I spoke about a campaign called Women Die Waiting. It is a campaign run by Anglicord Australia and it draws attention to the plight of women who by virtue of living in the Gaza Strip cannot access life-saving treatments or potentially life-saving screening because of the restrictions placed on their freedoms by the Israeli Defence Force. This year I am pleased to bring to the attention of the House another campaign, initiated by Medipalestine, called 'give her back confidence'. It was launched during October as part of an ongoing effort to help women in Palestine struggling with breast cancer diagnosis. Medipalestine is a Swiss not-for-profit association working in Palestine. Funding for the association comes from membership, contributions and donations and its job essentially is to ensure that Palestinian women, regardless of religion, political orientation, nationality or class, have access to high-quality medical care.

One of Medipalestine's projects is the establishment of Dunya, which is a women's cancer clinic in Ramallah. In Palestine breast cancer patients are often left in a huge vacuum. Not only do they have to contend with the initial shock of the diagnosis, but all too often they are left feeling helpless. In cases where a mastectomy is required, women experience all sorts of feelings of inferiority and desperation that are, of course, familiar to all women. For women, a breast is more than just a body part. It is a symbol of her femininity, her sexuality and of course motherhood. So dealing with the results of breast cancer is hard enough without the additional burden of living in the West Bank.

The availability of breast prostheses can alleviate some of this burden and restore confidence to women. The problem is that breast prostheses are very expensive and not affordable to Palestinian women. So Medipalestine is running this campaign in order to raise funds by encouraging people to donate a breast enhancement or a prosthesis. It is expected that throughout the month of October significant donations will be made so as to purchase enough breast prostheses to assist women with breast cancer in Palestine. I want to draw the attention of the House to this particular program and commend it to the House.

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

October marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Monday, 22 October was Pink Ribbon Day. Breast Cancer Awareness Month originated in America in the 1980s and has grown to be the internationally recognised month for cancer awareness. The month and Pink Ribbon Day are a time to highlight the ongoing research into breast cancer which is helping to better understand the disease and provide improvements in its detection and treatment, patient care and health outcomes for people diagnosed with breast cancer.

Breast cancer is a malignant tumour that originates in the cells of the breast. The cancer develops when the cells grow abnormally and multiply. It is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women in Australia, with one in eight women developing breast cancer in their lifetime. This year, it is predicted 14,610 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in Australia and, by 2020, this number will leap to 17,210. This will mean an average of 47 women being diagnosed every day. Currently, 38 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each day and, sadly, seven women will die from the disease. Early detection is the best protection against breast cancer and, the earlier the cancer is found, the more significant the increase in a woman's survival rate.

BreastScreen Australia is the national mammography screening program which advises women aged between 50 and 69 to be screened every two years. BreastScreen Australia operates in more than 500 locations throughout Australia, with fixed, relocatable and mobile screening units. National screening began in 1991, and the program has seen a significant increase in the number of women being screened. A total of 1,641,316 women were screened in 2007-08 across the nation; 78 per cent of those women were in the target age bracket of 50 to 69 years. BreastScreen Australia aims to screen 70 per cent of the target age bracket each year.

My electorate of Riverina is also fortunate to have two McGrath Foundation Breast Care Nurses working in the area. Sandra Royal is based at Griffith and has helped 109 women since her commencement in November 2009. Sue Munro, who is based in Wagga Wagga and started with the McGrath Foundation in April 2009, has helped 704 families. The services Sue and Sandra provide to breast cancer patients, as well as to their families and carers, are much needed and, I know, are appreciated by those they assist within the community. There are currently 77 McGrath Foundation Breast Care Nurses throughout Australia, providing this service free of charge, with 85 per cent of nurses located in rural and regional areas. I thank the McGrath Foundation for its outstanding work in assisting breast cancer patients in Australia.

In the Riverina, in addition to the two breast care nurses, there is the Riverina Cancer Care Centre, also run on donations and privately sourced money. The centre provides treatment to cancer patients across the spectrum and also helps to run trials. This is a fantastic service for cancer patients across the area.

Dr David Littlejohn, a leading Australian breast and oncoplastic surgeon based in Wagga Wagga, has expressed his thanks to the support offered by the McGrath Foundation Breast Care Nurses and the Riverina Cancer Care Centre but points out that this is all private money and there is a total lack of recognition by government of the need to provide resources to regional areas for breast cancer surgery. Dr Littlejohn also spoke about the serious lack of funding for breast cancer patients, stating: 'There is a only basic surgery available at the Wagga Wagga Base Hospital and there is insufficient funding for research'. This is not a criticism from me of any side of politics—indeed, we all can and should do more. Dr Littlejohn was proud to say that, despite Wagga Wagga receiving nowhere near the same resources as teaching hospitals in Sydney and Melbourne, the surgeons and medical professionals in his region are achieving the same results. However, they would like to see more recognition of services to help to advance the treatment of breast cancer. As a leading breast cancer surgeon Dr Littlejohn believes neither patients nor physicians should be limited in treatment, research and medical funding for breast cancer because they do not live in Sydney or Melbourne.

Breast cancer is openly spoken about today, and we have seen significant medical advances in the treatment available to patients. However, women must be vigilant about self-examination and take advantage of programs such as BreastScreen Australia to help ensure early detection as the best protection. My mother, Eileen, detected soreness in a breast in August 2009, and the subsequent mammogram found a lump.

Radiotherapy followed and Mum is now in remission but has been summoned by her doctor for a visit tomorrow morning. Her sister Ellen, Sister Mary Denise of the Sisters of Mercy, died of breast cancer in her early forties in 1977. Mum was to have had the medical appointment today but deferred it to attend the funeral of Sue Cohalan, aged just 51, who died last Wednesday having suffered the effects of breast cancer. Sue was a loving mother, wife and friend to many. Breast cancer does not discriminate. It is an insidious disease. I commend the member for Shortland for this motion to raise awareness about it.

Bruce Scott (Maranoa, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The time allocated for this debate has expired. The debate is adjourned and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting.