Judith Adams (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I too rise this evening to speak on Breaking the silence: a national voice for gynaecological cancers and the government’s response to that report. As a member of the Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs, which held an inquiry into gynaecological cancer in Australia last year, I am delighted with the government’s response to the committee’s report. This inquiry drew people from all walks of life to give evidence to the committee’s eight public hearings, which were held in Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. We also made two site visits. It was a great opportunity for the committee to meet with so many experts in the area of gynaecological cancer. Witnesses included women with gynaecological cancer, survivors, gynaecological oncologists, medical and allied health professionals, representative bodies—of which there are a terrific number—and consumer advocacy groups.

This all started with the committee holding a roundtable in March 2006 to discuss gynaecological health issues. It was obvious from this roundtable that an inquiry was needed into this area of women’s health—an area that was very rarely spoken about but affects so many Australian women. I wish to acknowledge and thank all the women who came forward and told us their very personal stories, including the difficulties they have had in dealing with their gynaecological health issues. Many travelled great distances at their own expense to give evidence to the committee. Gynaecological cancer, unlike breast cancer, has not been highlighted in the way that it should have been. So we wear our ribbons—and, for those who do not have them, the Government Whip, Senator Jeannie Ferris, has a great big basket of them. I would love to see everyone wearing them in the Senate tomorrow.

Getting back to the release of the government’s response to the report, our recommendation 1 was:

... that the Commonwealth Government establish a Centre for Gynaecological Cancers within the auspices of Cancer Australia.

Of course, Cancer Australia was a Commonwealth initiative. They have just had their first meetings and are really starting to make a difference. Recommendation 1 continued:

The Centre will have responsibility for giving national focus to gynaecological cancer issues and improving coordination of existing health, medical and support services and community projects.

The government’s response to this was:

The Commonwealth Government agrees to establish a Centre for Gynaecological Cancers within the auspices of Cancer Australia. Once the Centre has been established, the Government will ask it to undertake an early assessment of existing gynaecological cancer services and to provide a national focus to gynaecological cancer issues.

I quote from their minister’s press release this afternoon:

The centre will receive $1 million in seed funding to support its establishment and initial operation. It will provide education and increase awareness among medical and allied health professionals about gynaecological cancers and—

as has been said—

will operate under the auspices of Cancer Australia.

The $1 million for the new centre is in addition to investments totalling almost $13.6 million over six years to 2009 that the government has committed to programs for women’s cancers. Over half of this investment is currently delivering breast cancer and ovarian cancer programs through the National Breast Cancer Centre. The National Breast Cancer Centre delivers the ovarian cancer program and breast screening program and will be working closely with the new Centre for Gynaecological Cancers.

It is important to note that gynaecological cancers affect the lives of the more than 3,800 Australian women who are diagnosed with it each year. During 2005-06 the National Health and Medical Research Council provided more than $44 million for research into gynaecological cancers. The National Cervical Screening Program has helped to reduce the incidence of cervical cancer by 57 per cent and mortality by 58 per cent in the past 10 years.

Our recommendation 3 was:

The Committee recommends that a working group be formed, with the support of Cancer Australia, consisting of individuals with experience and expertise in gynaecological cancers to best develop the roles, responsibilities and priorities of the Centre for Gynaecological Cancers.

It is very important that we have the correct expertise, along with the people who have gone through this—the survivors and also consumers. It is just so important that the group consists of the right people. The Commonwealth’s response to this was that it:

... agrees with this recommendation and will seek advice from Cancer Australia and the relevant professional organisations ... on the composition and terms of reference of the working group.

That is very important.

I will move to the work that has been done in the screening program, which I think is very important. The committee recommended:

... that the Commonwealth Government’s funding and leadership of the National Cervical Screening Program continue and that strategies be implemented to improve screening participation rates for Australian women, particularly for Indigenous women.

As Senator Moore has just commented, this screening does not give a positive diagnosis of ovarian cancer; it is for cervical screening. We really need to get this message across, and I think that after tonight we will. The response is that the Commonwealth government will continue its funding and leadership of the National Cervical Screening Program, and it has initiatives in place which aim to improve the screening rates for Australian women.

In 2006-07, budget funding was continued to encourage general practitioners to increase rates of participation in this program, particularly for women who were lapsed or had never been screened, including our Indigenous women. Since the initiative commenced, almost 190,000 previously underscreened women have been screened by their GPs. Once again this is a wonderful initiative, and the fact that this program will be carried on is very important. The screening program at state and territory level employs Indigenous staff to advise on communication and cultural matters, which is very important, and uses Aboriginal health workers wherever possible to provide services or communicate the importance of screening to Indigenous women.

I am rather disappointed about some of our other responses. Senator Moore has already noted the patient assisted travel. I will keep working on this. It is unfortunately a state responsibility, but I believe we should have national guidelines so that the borders of our states are broken down and women who have to go to another state for treatment can do so without any of the problems they are experiencing at the moment.

The other thing we put forward was lymphoedema. Many gynaecological cancers with lymph nodes being removed from the groin area eventuate with lymphoedema. It is an insidious disease and very difficult. I have it in the arm, which is easier to manage but is hard enough. But when you have it in your legs and in your body and you are trying to deal with it yourself, plus having to wear very heavy and expensive garments to prevent the swelling, it is really difficult. The people who can help us are allied health professionals and physios. We are trying to get further support for people with this condition, because it really is difficult. Gynaecological cancer patients do get it, and I think it is now my responsibility to those people who gave evidence at our inquiry to improve the lot of rural and regional women who have to travel for their treatment for gynaecological cancer and also of those women who have lymphoedema. These are my two issues for the next year.