Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to speak about an issue that is very close to my heart. I am speaking as a woman, a mother, a grandmother and a sister about a disease that affects far too many Australian women. More than 1,200 Australian women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer every year. Last month, February, was Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, and I would like to take the opportunity to equip all Australian women with some essential information about the diagnosis, symptoms and treatment of this type of cancer.

Ovarian cancer is often a silent disease in its early stages, which means that many women have no symptoms at all or symptoms that are difficult to recognise. Due to the difficulty associated with diagnosing ovarian cancer, it is one of the most lethal gynaecological cancers there are. In 2006, 810 Australian women passed away as a result of ovarian cancer and, in 2007, 29 of my fellow Tasmanian women also lost their battle with ovarian cancer. It is my hope that through open and factual discussions such as this we can have an impact on reducing the number of ovarian cancer fatalities by promoting awareness and self-education. Unlike many other forms of cancer, ovarian cancer has no population screening and no simple detection test in its very early stages. This makes early detection very difficult for doctors and highlights the importance of self-education, awareness of our own bodies and knowing what is ‘normal’ for us.

There are currently numerous tests in development throughout the world which aim to detect ovarian cancer in its early stages. These tests may have a role to play in the future in increasing the early detection of ovarian cancer. However, until the effectiveness of these tests is proven, the best defence we have is to be aware of the early warning signs so that as individuals we can recognise changes in our own bodies. Some of the more common symptoms associated with ovarian cancer are unexplained abdominal or pelvic pain, increased abdominal size or persistent abdominal bloating, difficulty eating or feeling full quickly. A full list of symptoms is available, and I urge Australian women to visit Ovarian Cancer Australia’s website, which is www.ovariancancer.net.au. I encourage women of all ages, young or old, to visit this website and to speak with their doctor about the early warning signs of ovarian cancer to ensure their awareness.

The key point I would like to make is that the symptoms that precede ovarian cancer are new to you and different for your body. I urge all women to be aware of these changes and to seek advice from their GP if they are concerned. I cannot stress enough that, if you are not satisfied with the advice you are given by your GP, you should seek a second opinion. Early detection of ovarian cancer is critical in reducing the number of women who die from this disease. Statistics demonstrate the importance of early detection, particularly now, as they indicate an increase in the number of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer in Australia from 833 in 1982 to 1,266 in 2007.

As a woman and as a mother of girls I know that it is not in a woman’s nature to worry about their own health. Women always put other members of their family first. It is not in their nature to make a big deal of minor symptoms and it is not in their nature to put themselves first as often as they should. So today, as we discuss the important issue of ovarian cancer, after Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month in February, it is important to emphasise early detection, and I would like to remind women to think about themselves and put themselves first in this instance. I urge all women to take notice of the changes in their bodies, no matter how small, and to make the time in their busy lives to take control of their health, and I encourage all women to remember that looking after themselves is of the highest importance because if they do not look after themselves they cannot look after their loved ones.

Awareness of ovarian cancer is so important because it is a largely indiscriminate form of cancer. A woman of any age or any ethnicity, with all or none of the risk factors, could be diagnosed with ovarian cancer. It is often believed that a family history of cancer is a primary indicator of who will be affected; however, 90 to 95 per cent of ovarian cancer is diagnosed in women who have no family history. This is information that can, hopefully, help all women to be as aware as possible. It is important that if you have concerns or have experienced possible symptoms you see your doctor. If, after visiting your GP, you still have concerns, then it is sensible to seek a second opinion.

I would like to share with those in the chamber the story of a loving mother in my home state of Tasmania who 11 years ago lost her daughter to ovarian cancer. Her daughter was only seven years of age. I join with her mother in an attempt to raise awareness of this hideous disease and to ensure that the community understands that it can affect women of all ages. Cancer of any type is tragic, regardless of the age of the person affected; however, the impact on a family with a child diagnosed with cancer seems particularly dreadful and something that I imagine is not fully comprehensible until it is experienced firsthand. To have a child that sick would indeed be a devastating thing. Even more devastating is the thought that because of a cruel, indiscriminate cancer a child could pass away. It is tragic and simply not natural for a child to die before their parents, and that is why I stress that early detection and awareness is so crucial.

Ovarian cancer is one of the most lethal forms of cancer because, as I said, it is not easy to diagnose. Ovarian cancer is considered to be in the early stages when it is still confined to one or both ovaries. As a cancer becomes more advanced it can be found in other pelvic organs, such as the uterus and the fallopian tubes. Advanced stage ovarian cancer occurs when the cancer has spread from the primary site, the ovaries, to other distant organs such as the liver or lungs.

The prognosis for an individual diagnosed with ovarian cancer depends on the stage to which the cancer has developed as well as the age and general health of the individual. For individuals diagnosed with ovarian cancer still in its early stages and confined to the ovaries, the prognosis is good and it is suggested that 93 per cent of these patients will still be alive in five years.

The reason I urge women to be as aware of their bodies as possible and to take notice of change early is because the later that ovarian cancer is detected the less chance there is of a successful recovery. If the cancer has spread into the tissues of the pelvis or other pelvic organs, the rate of survival five years after diagnosis drops from 93 per cent to only 39 per cent. If the cancer is in its advanced stages and has spread even further into distant organs, the five-year survival rate drops again, to 30 per cent. Although these statistics are an average, and each individual will have a different response to treatment, they remain alarming and demonstrate the importance of detecting this cancer as early as possible.

If the situation arises, and I pray it does not, that it is suspected you have ovarian cancer, the best advice available says that you should ensure that you are referred to a gynaecological oncologist for treatment. The reason for this is that research shows that survival for women with ovarian cancer is improved when their surgical care is directed by a gynaecological oncologist. The greatest risk factor connected to ovarian cancer is considered to be age. Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do about getting older—I do try. However, there are a number of other risk factors that are often thought to influence an individual’s chance of being affected by ovarian cancer. It is important to be aware of these risks, which include family history and genetics, which accounts for around only 10 per cent of ovarian cancers, having had no or few full-term pregnancies, smoking cigarettes, eating a high-fat diet and being overweight or obese.

I am pleased to have had the opportunity to speak on this matter, as I feel that it helps awareness when we bring this type of debate into the chamber. The profile of awareness of ovarian cancer is comparatively low compared with other types of female cancers and it needs to be regularly brought to our attention. This is often done through the suffering of a high-profile woman. The tragic passing of Jane McGrath reminds us of the importance of breast screening, and it brought home the reality that cancer is indiscriminate and can affect any one of us.

As I speak today, I congratulate those many women who have worked so tirelessly over many decades to ensure that breast cancer screening is available to all women and the profile of breast cancer is far more known within the community, which is an excellent thing. But we need to be mindful that cancers such as ovarian cancer are still not as well known in our community so we should, wherever possible, make sure that we send the message out to the community that women need to look after themselves. They need to seek medical advice if they have or are experiencing any of those symptoms that I highlighted earlier so that they have the best chance, the best opportunity, of beating this disease.

Those who are in the chamber know that we had a colleague in the past who was taken by ovarian cancer. So through not only our own families and friends but as colleagues in this place we have been touched by the sadness of losing someone to this hideous disease. We together have a responsibility, as I said, to raise the profile of ovarian cancer within the community, of the real risk that it is within our community, and we need to ensure that women are mindful and seek medical advice. The earlier it is detected the better the chance the individual has of making a full recovery.