Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I rise to speak about Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. It's held in February every year. I also want to acknowledge the amazing work of Ovarian Cancer Australia. I give a particular shout-out to Jane Hill, the CEO, who's known to so many of us in this building for her fierce advocacy on behalf of women who suffer from ovarian cancer. It's also a huge honour to have been asked to be a parliamentary ambassador for Ovarian Cancer Australia, along with Meryl Swanson in the other place and Sarah Hanson-Young in this place.

Like so many other Australians, I have been touched by this disease, having had a very dear, close friend die of ovarian cancer way, way too young. Sadly, we know that all cancers have a serious impact on Australians, but the likelihood of survival from ovarian cancer is the lowest of any female cancer. It's less than 50 per cent. Women diagnosed with ovarian cancer face an extraordinarily daunting challenge, and it's both absolutely heartbreaking and equally inspiring to hear the stories of people who've walked on that journey. This morning, Alisi Jack Koo Fussy shared her experience of her journey with ovarian cancer. Alisi has only just turned 30. Tragically, she has stage 4 ovarian cancer. She's dealing with challenges and decisions that no young woman should have to face.

Alisi's ovarian cancer is terminal. But it's the devastating reality for so many women who are diagnosed with this insidious disease. Alisi's bravery this morning in sharing her journey and her experience with the illness, her experience with the treatment and the emotional trauma that has followed her subsequent diagnosis, was one of the most incredibly powerful speeches I have ever heard. It demonstrated how absolutely every effort must be put into improving diagnosis, treatment, support and prevention in the first place of this horrible disease. By sharing her story, she has taken powerful action to increase awareness, but more must be done to progress this message.

Currently there is no early detection test available for the screening of ovarian cancer, which means that often when it's diagnosed the disease is already in advanced stages. Without the ability to do early screening and detection, many, many more Australian women's lives will be lost because we have missed the opportunity to treat them at an earlier stage. That's why we must continue to increase our investment in health and medical research in Australia, particularly so that we can find early detection measures and mechanisms that will allow women who are diagnosed with ovarian cancer to be treated much earlier. This would give them a better chance in life, as we wish to do for all other people in Australia who are diagnosed with cancer. The coalition were pleased to make available $21 million for ovarian cancer research, and we will continue to work with the government to make sure that this research investment is continued and is an absolutely top priority for the government of this country going forward.

Along with improving access to treatment and making sure we've got research into better treatment and diagnosis, it's important that we have the right programs to support women when they are diagnosed with all sorts of cancers, but particularly ovarian cancer, given that it has such a low survival rate. In February last year, $2 million was provided by the coalition to Ovarian Cancer Australia so that they could continue to provide vital psychosocial telehealth services through their Teal Support Program. Those services go along with the psychosocial supports that so many women value so deeply when they find themselves on the horrible journey that is cancer.

Today, Ovarian Cancer Australia are asking for $4 million to continue this important work. It is important work to make sure that every woman who is diagnosed with ovarian cancer does not walk that journey alone. It seems quite a small ask.

I'd like to take this opportunity today to thank, in particular, Ovarian Cancer Australia and all the amazing people who work in research, who work in support, who work in mental support services, for the extraordinary work that they do: the tirelessness, the selflessness that they present every day as they walk beside women who are taking this terrible journey. It's critical that we continue, as governments and as people in this place, to support programs that are going to support women who have to make this journey. It's important that we continue to support research. We must do all we can to increase awareness, to increase education and to make sure that medical research and support for victims of ovarian cancer is the best that we can provide them.

Deborah O'Neill (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

or O'NEILL () (): by leave—I associate myself with the remarks from Senator Ruston and table the piece from the Irish Nationalist about Nessa Delaney for the chamber to have on record.