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

The Australian government is committed to reducing the impact of cancer through a series of broad-ranging measures, including prevention, investment in cancer research, more effective screening and early detection, treatments such as radiotherapy and the listing of lifesaving drugs on our PBS.

In relation to ovarian cancer, the government provides support through Medicare. In November 2017, we listed two new Medicare items for the testing of gene mutations that predispose women to ovarian and/or breast cancer. Women who have a family history, who are high risk or who already have breast or ovarian cancer can receive these tests funded by the MBS. This government also ensures that medicines to treat ovarian cancer are more affordable through the PBS, spending more than $17 million on PBS medicines in 2016-17 for the treatment of ovarian cancer.