Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On behalf of all Labor senators and also Senators Hughes, Henderson, Askew, Davey, Brockman, Griff, Patrick and all Green senators, I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) ovarian cancer is the eighth most common cancer in Australia,

(ii) every year around 1,580 Australian women are diagnosed, with the five-year survival rate being just 46%,

(iii) over the past 30 years the statistics around the survival rate of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer has not changed significantly,

(iv) despite common misconceptions, there is no early detection or screening test for ovarian cancer,

(v) therefore, it is imperative to be aware of the symptoms of ovarian cancer as early detection and treatment dramatically increases a person's chance of survival,

(vi) unfortunately, the symptoms of ovarian cancer are all too often overlooked, assumed to be part of the female experience or often diagnosed as symptoms of other more prevalent conditions, for example Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and

(vii) February is Ovarian Cancer Awareness month and is a time where we recognise and support women diagnosed with ovarian cancer and their families; and

(b) urges the Federal Government to invest more resources to help educate and find a cure for ovarian cancer so we can give hope to women and reduce the number of women who die from this disease.

Question agreed to.