Susan Templeman (Macquarie, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I'm appealing to women across the Hawkesbury and Blue Mountains to know the symptoms of one of the country's most deadly cancers for women, ovarian cancer. As Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month draws to a close, here in parliament we've honoured the women who were warriors in their last months and days with this disease. Last year MPs and senators heard from two women dying from ovarian cancer, ABC journalist Jill Emberson and Kristen Larsen, who was only 26 years old. They died within days of each other last December. I knew Jill nearly 40 years ago, when we were young journalists at community radio 2SER in Sydney. Reconnecting with her in recent years was bittersweet. It was her illness that brought this powerful, focused, warm and adventurous woman back into my sphere, and I'm very grateful for that.

We learned this week that, only two days before she died, Jill dictated a letter to the Minister for Health, continuing to lobby for additional funding for research into the causes, treatment, prevention and cure of ovarian cancer. That she and Kristen were able to influence the government in allocating $20 million for research was a triumph. But having that money over that money spread over several years was a disappointment. Kristen and Jill and this year's speaker, a survivor of ovarian cancer, Meghan Speers, who spoke of her lonely journey through this terrible disease, are absolutely right: there needs to be more support, and that means more money.

Ovarian Cancer Australia has asked the federal government for $9 million to help fund 21 ovarian cancer nurses. I think this is such a reasonable request. Every year, more than 1,500 Australian women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and more than 1,000 die from the disease. Today four women will be diagnosed and three will die. The five-year survival rate for women diagnosed with ovarian cancer is 46 per cent, and this compares to 91 per cent for those diagnosed with breast cancer. We have done great work with breast cancer, and we need to see that happen with ovarian cancer.

There is no effective screening program for ovarian cancer, so the best way to detect it is to know the signs and symptoms. Unfortunately, these can often be vague and similar to other medical conditions, but it's really important for women to see their GP if they experience any of them, particularly if it's unusual or persistent. Symptoms can include unexplained fatigue, unexplained weight loss or gain, changes in bowel habits—Jill says all she had was constipation—increased abdominal size or persistent bloating, abdominal or pelvic pain, urinary changes and appetite loss or feeling full quickly. It is okay to overreact. Go and see your doctor. (Time expired)