Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Lambie for her advice that she would be asking a question on childhood cancer. I acknowledge that the Senate has a meeting with the Minister for Health next week to discuss a range of health issues. Many of us across the chamber went to the ovarian cancer breakfast this morning. Cancer is something that has touched probably everybody's lives in this place.

Some of the statistics around childhood cancer and children diagnosed with brain cancer are very confronting. As Senator Lambie said, an estimated 102 children aged up to 14 are diagnosed with brain cancer and 36 children are estimated to die from this disease. Cancers in children are often different from those observed in adults in appearance, site of origin and response to treatment. They are also often quite difficult to diagnose, which does require specialisation in paediatric cancer responses.

To just run through a couple of things under way, over the last 10 years, there has been $260 million for childhood cancer research through the National Health and Medical Research Council, the Medical Research Future Fund and Cancer Australia. We have also allocated $452 million to build new comprehensive cancer centres in Queensland and South Australia. We're also implementing $100 million to establish the nation's first children's comprehensive cancer centre in Sydney. This initiative is being led by the Children's Cancer Institute with delivery partners and it will play an important role in Australia's health system. The network of comprehensive cancer centres going forward will combine research, cutting-edge treatment options, clinical trials and other multidisciplinary resources for children. (Time expired)