Deborah O'Neill (Robertson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to note in this place that this week is International Brain Tumour Awareness Week. It runs from 28 October all the way through to 3 November. People who are interested in becoming more aware about brain tumours and the challenges that are facing research in that area can go to the website www.btaa.org.au for the Brain Tumour Alliance Australia. You could Google search that and find it as well.

In the parliament, this is the third year that members have been provided with a grey ribbon to help us highlight this issue. In the Senate, Senator Catryna Bilyk and Senator Scott Ryan have been very active in attempting to raise awareness not only here in the parliament but throughout the nation, through our electorates and more broadly.

Brain tumours are the highest cause of disease related deaths in children under 16, second only to accidental drownings for causes of death, and they are the highest cause of cancer related death in females under 40 and males under 44. From 2006 to 2010, people with a brain tumour had just a 22 per cent chance of surviving for at least five years. Between 1982 and 2007, mortality trends really have showed very little change.

I put this on the record and note that my own brother passed earlier this year of a brain tumour, aged 41. Sean Patrick O'Neill, rest in peace.