Sam Birrell (Nicholls, National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Regional Health) | Hansard source

Today, I was delighted and honoured to meet with bowel cancer survivors Tegan and Scott, who are here with us in the Federation Chamber. I know Tegan very well because she's from my electorate; she's in Kilmore. She is one of the bravest and most optimistic people I've ever met in my life. Tegan was diagnosed at age 39 and is a mother of three young children. Scott was just 35 years old when he was diagnosed. Thankfully, both are well after treatment.

June is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month. Bowel cancer is Australia's fourth most diagnosed cancer and the second deadliest. Early detection, as the member for Hunter said earlier, matters a great deal; 99 per cent of cases can be treated successfully when they're detected in their earliest stage. Tegan and Scott have both told me: whatever age you are, know the symptoms, and, if you notice a change in your bowel, see your doctor. They also pointed to a significant increase in young people—those under 40—being diagnosed with bowel cancer. There has been a significant spike in the number of people being diagnosed at that age since the early 2000s. We need to understand what is causing that and we need to focus our research efforts. Those of us who are over 50 get the test automatically, but we need more access for people who are younger than that.

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