Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Minister for Regional Communications) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you for your question, Senator Brockman. Like you and many other senators across both sides of the chamber today, we wear the teal ribbon to show our support for ovarian cancer awareness. We wear the ribbon to show our support for the women and their families who live with this disease and to remember those who have died, including former Senator Ferris, the friend of many in this chamber and respected by all.

It's timely to reflect on the devastating facts. In Australia, 1,600 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer every single year. While survival rates for cancers have greatly improved in the past three decades, the survival rate for ovarian cancer is still tragically low at 44 per cent. In 2017, it is estimated that around 1,050 women died from this disease.

This morning, our government announced it will provide almost $3 million to support groundbreaking cancer prevention project Traceback. Traceback will involve genetic testing of around 1,500 tissue specimens collected from Australian women diagnosed with ovarian cancer over the past 15 years. Women who have not previously been offered testing may be able to identify genetic variance, which will inform them or their relatives of the risk of getting these cancers. These women are then able to consider taking preventative action. It may inform information and decisions on whether or not to have pre-emptive surgery or how to monitor the potential condition.

This is a new, groundbreaking approach to cancer control. According to estimates of Ovarian Cancer Australia, this could prevent 800 women from getting ovarian cancer and 2,000 from getting breast cancer over the next 10 years. The support for this project builds on the $33 million we've already provided for dedicated research related to ovarian cancer since 2013.