Steve Irons (Swan, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to support the motion by the member for Kingston that we note that November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month. There are three other parts to the motion that I also support. It is important that we as parliamentarians on both sides of the House do all we can to help prevent deaths by raising the awareness of the importance of early detection. The Cancer Australia website states:

The symptoms of lung cancer can often be vague and mimic those of other conditions, so it's important to know what your cough is telling you.

For the benefit of my constituents and other people who may read this speech, I will quote from some of the statistics and advice from the website with regard to coughs:

Unexplained, persistent symptoms lasting more than three weeks can include:

These symptoms may be due to other conditions however, if any of these symptoms are experienced, it is important that they are discussed with a GP or healthcare worker without delay.

In 2009 lung cancer was the fifth most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia after prostate, bowel, breast and melanoma of the skin, accounting for 8.9 per cent of all new cancers in Australia. For men and women separately, lung cancer is the fourth most commonly diagnosed cancer for men after prostate, bowel and melanoma of the skin; and for women after breast, bowel and melanoma of the skin. In 2009 there were 10,193 new cases of lung cancer diagnosed: 6,034 in men and 4,159 in women. In 2020 an estimated 13,640 people are expected to be diagnosed with lung cancer in Australia. In 2009 the average age of the first diagnosis of lung cancer was 71 years for men and 69.9 years for women.

The risk of developing lung cancer increases with age. In 2009, 85 per cent of new lung cancers in men and 81 per cent in women were diagnosed in people aged 60 years or older. In 2009, the age standardised incidence rate was 43.2 cases per 100,000 people. This was higher for men than for women: 55.7 cases in 100,000 for men compared with 33.1 cases per 100,000 for women. The incidence of men diagnosed with lung cancer in Australia decreased from 85.2 cases per 100,000 in 1982. The incidence of women diagnosed with lung cancer in Australia increased from 18.2 per 100,000 in 1982. In 2012 lung cancer is expected to be the leading cause of burden of disease due to cancer among men and the second highest burden of disease due to cancer among women.

All these statistics are indicators of how important early detection is. Symptoms of lung cancer in nonsmokers may be different from lung cancer in people who smoke. Sometimes the symptoms may be more subtle, such as shortness of breath with activity, or hard to define, such as fatigue. As a quick aside, talking about lung cancer in nonsmokers is more important than ever. Currently, 20 per cent of women who develop lung cancer in the United States are lifelong nonsmokers. In addition, the majority of people, both men and women, who develop lung cancer at this time are former, not current, smokers. So it is important that even former smokers who think they may be in the clear make sure to have regular check-ups.

Last Friday I represented the Prime Minister at the Asbestos Disease Society's ecumenical memorial service at the Redemptorist Monastery in Vincent Street, North Perth. The service was in remembrance of families, friends, work colleagues and those unknown who have died from asbestos caused diseases and gave us an opportunity to collectively express our compassion and support for many grieving families. This year was the 18th year since the inaugural ecumenical memorial service in 1996, and in this period alone 3,369 of their members and friends have died from asbestos caused diseases. That includes 296 this year. The current epidemic of asbestos caused diseases and lung cancer is alarmingly on the rise in Australia. On behalf of the PM, I lit a candle in memory of loved ones and friends. I also lit a candle in memory of Lauren Mariolis, who died of brain cancer at the age of 10, and my sister Margaret Dix, who fell to her death in 2004. I also wish all the best to Barry Knowles, who sat next to me at the ceremony. God bless him as well. I commend this motion to the House.

See this speech in context