Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration) Share this | Hansard source

I rise this evening to bring to the attention of the Senate that tomorrow, 27 February 2012, is Teal Ribbon Day. This is a day to raise awareness of ovarian cancer, and it is also an opportunity for all Australians to become familiar with ovarian cancer and, most importantly of all, its signs and symptoms.

While the last Wednesday in February is annually dedicated to Teal Ribbon Day, the whole month of February is dedicated to raising awareness of ovarian cancer. I congratulate Ovarian Cancer Australia and the various organisations that have supported this cause in order to raise funds for research and to continue to raise the profile of this disease. I would also like to draw attention to the 'afternoon teal' events that have taken place, or will take place, across Australia to celebrate Teal Ribbon Day. In that vein, I know that many senators will be attending Teal Ribbon Day celebrations tomorrow here at Parliament House.

One of the highlights of this month of awareness raising was on Thursday, 14 February, and it was known, appropriately, as KISS. I say 'appropriately' because I think most people would know that 14 February is also Valentine's Day. KISS is an acronym for 'know the important signs and symptoms'. There are four major signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer. If you had one on its own you probably would not think you had anything. If you put them together—or if something is persistent and it is not checked, unfortunately it may well be a sign of something far more sinister. The signs are: abdominal or pelvic pain; increased abdominal size or persistent abdominal bloating—unfortunately this is something we put up with on a regular basis, and sometimes we actually forget that it is not part of our normal body condition; needing to urinate often or urgently; and difficulty eating or feeling full quickly. I urge all women to know and remember these symptoms, and I encourage all women—and men—to discuss them with loved ones: with mothers, sisters, friends, girlfriends, partners and daughters. Do not be afraid, because, as I have stated, symptoms are hopefully just part of normal bodily functions not quite functioning normally and not something that will be diagnosed as something far more sinister.

Unfortunately with this form of cancer, unlike other forms of cancer, there is no early screening for ovarian cancer and so it is particularly important for these symptoms to be known and recognised for what they could be but also, hopefully, for what they are not. As Cancer Australia says, the best thing you can do is to get to know your body and what is normal for you so you can recognise any unusual changes. If as a woman you experience any of the symptoms of ovarian cancer and they are persistent and unusual for you, it is important to see your doctor. If you are still concerned about a persistent symptom, it is okay to get a second opinion. Trust your instincts. At the end of the day, you know what is best for your body.

The Ovarian Cancer Australia website is a very humbling site, for those people who have had the opportunity to look at it, because it contains a number of personal stories of women who have gone through the experience of ovarian cancer. I would like to share one such story with the Senate tonight. Carmel was on a European holiday with her husband when her symptoms became persistent. She writes:

As the two month trip progressed my waist line expanded and I did not fancy any fancy food. I started to realise something was seriously wrong and felt trapped on the other side of the world. In desperation we finally found a doctor to see me in York Hospital casualty. He said I was not sick and to go back to the pharmacy. By this stage I was carrying over 9 litres of fluid …

On flying into Melbourne, our daughter drove us straight to the Austin Hospital where after getting past the triage nurse—who also thought I was not sick—I was diagnosed by 5am after scans. The staff were sensitive to our world falling apart. The next two days involved breaking the terrible news to our children and family. Devastating.

By Monday, we met with my gynaecological oncologist at the Mercy hospital for women. I just kept saying ‘I want to live’.

Unfortunately, ovarian cancer still has the lowest survival rate in the first five years following diagnosis of any gynaecological cancer, which is why early diagnosis is so very important. The current survival rate stands at just 43 per cent. Five years ago, in 2008, 1,272 women were diagnosed with ovarian cancer in Australia. Statistically speaking, 726 of these women have now lost their battle with this disease. That leaves, of the 1,272 diagnosed cases, just 546 survivors. While this is a lesser survival rate in comparison with other gynaecological cancers, it is important to recognise that since the mid-1980s, when the survival rate was just 32 per cent, we have seen significant improvements in awareness, diagnosis and treatment. It is through events such as Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, along with tomorrow's Teal Ribbon Day, that we can continue to increase awareness, increase early diagnosis and increase the rate of survival within the first five years.

I would like to share with the Senate another personal account of diagnosis from the Ovarian Cancer Australia website. Noreen had been experiencing a number of symptoms, including abdominal pain, fatigue, weight loss, nausea and bloating. She writes:

I thought that the pain was caused by some injury I had sustained when attending to patients at work and it would soon pass. I thought that the tiredness was from shift work and that the other symptoms were related to diet, not drinking enough fluids, and that the bloating was caused by the yeast in bread.

The symptoms persisted and eventually I saw a GP. She ordered an upper abdominal ultrasound, which was normal. She gave me some literature to explain her diagnosis - irritable bowel syndrome.

I knew that I did not have irritable bowel syndrome and consulted another GP for a second opinion. He did arrange for the simple blood test for the ovarian cancer tumour marker, CA 125.

I never thought for one minute that I would be one of the 1200 Australian women that would present with advanced ovarian cancer (stage 3C) each year. I want to tell my story to other women. I want them to listen to what their body is telling them and to report to their doctor if they notice any of the symptoms associated with ovarian cancer. I want them to seek a second opinion if they instinctively feel that something isn't quite right.

I thank Carmel and Noreen, and all the women who have shared their stories of diagnosis, of living with ovarian cancer and of surviving. It is an absolutely wonderful thing. It is also very humbling for those of us who have not gone through a form of cancer to read their wonderful stories.

I urge all Australians, men and women, to become familiar with the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer because this awareness just may save a life. It is through this awareness and fundraising that we can continue to work towards discovering an early screening process—bearing in mind that with this cancer it is early detection that saves lives—that we can help to reduce the numbers of women diagnosed with advanced stages of ovarian cancer and that, hopefully, we can increase the survival rate.