Terry Young (Longman, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Recently I attended a morning tea for the Parliamentary Friends of Prostate Cancer Awareness group here in Canberra. Next month, the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, which is the peak body for men and families impacted by prostate cancer, will commemorate its 25th anniversary. They are launching a new project to raise awareness of the disease, and it is something that I am very passionate about. The more awareness we can raise, the more chance we have of saving lives from this terrible disease. Prostate cancer is the second-most-common cancer diagnosed in men in Australia and the third-most-common cause of cancer death. Across Australia, one in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer by the age of 85.

In the Moreton Bay North geographic area, which includes my electorate of Longman, there are currently 2,376 men living with prostate cancer. Sadly, there are 225 new cases diagnosed every year. Moreton Bay North has a high incidence of preventable deaths relating to prostate cancer. Even though my community is around the average for instances of prostate cancer, the death rate is higher than average because it is often picked up too late, as many men in my community are slower than average to be tested—the old 'She'll be right, mate' attitude. To the blokes in my electorate, I implore you: please, visit your GP and get your PSA levels tested. It is a simple blood test that could literally save your life.