Russell Broadbent (McMillan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What a marvellous address we have just heard. All our love goes to Analise.

I move:

That this House:

(1) recognises that cancer is one of the leading causes of death in Australia, causing to 33 per cent of deaths;

(2) further recognises that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month;

(3) congratulates the Government for being committed to cancer research through funding the National Health and Medical Research Council and Cancer Australia, and establishing the Medical Research Future Fund;

(4) welcomes the Government providing $18.5 million to the McGrath Foundation to deliver 57 trained breast care nurses to assist and care for people diagnosed with breast cancer;

(5) further congratulates the Government for delivering savings to taxpayers while ensuring that the latest cancer-fighting medications are on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), available for patients as soon as possible, without fear or favour;

(6) welcomes the addition of new drugs such as Herceptin and Kadcyla within the Government's investment in the PBS; and

(7) further welcomes the large number of approvals for cancer-fighting drugs that this Government has approved for the PBS, worth over $1.9 billion.

Nobody's life remains untouched by cancer. Even if it does not directly affect you, you will undoubtedly know someone who has had their body ravaged by it or their life taken. Annually, more than 123,000 new cases of cancer are diagnosed in Australia. Unlike other foes, it comes upon us silently and with little warning. It is the cause of three in 10 Australian deaths every year. If it were another disease, we would be in hysterics at its terrible impact and its insatiable appetite. Sadly, it has become almost part of us—an accepted consequence of living. Even in this modern world, where we expect the wonders of technology to deliver new miracles each and every year, we have not yet banished this old enemy.

A headline of a few days ago said, 'Rebecca Wilson: renowned sports journalist dies from breast cancer at 54'. It brought home to all of us that nobody is immune from this horrific disease. The article said:

Wilson’s family says she kept her illness a closely guarded secret to limit the suffering of friends, colleagues and family.

The sports journalist Rebecca Wilson has died after a “secret” battle with breast cancer, her family has revealed.

News that the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph columnist and broadcaster had died at 54 came as a shock to the media and sports communities on Friday morning because her illness was “a closely guarded secret”.

I am proud to say that this government is playing its part in the fight against this insidious disease. Of course, response has taken many forms, whether it is backing Australian researchers in their pursuit of more effective drugs or even cures, promoting events like October's Breast Cancer Awareness Month or giving $18.5 million to the McGrath Foundation to deliver 57 trained breast care nurses to assist and care for people diagnosed with breast cancer. And yet the most significant development, I believe, is giving greater access to cheaper essential medicines through their listing on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.

As anyone who has battled cancer will know, the stresses are enormous and all too often made worse by wondering how you will pay the huge healthcare bills that go with the long term battle. It was fitting that Minister for Health and Aged Care, Minister Sussan Ley, marked the start of Breast Cancer Awareness Month by announcing subsidised access on 1 October to a preventive medicine that could reduce women's risk of getting breast cancer by 30 to 40 per cent over their lifetime. The medicine, tamoxifen, is the first preventive, risk-reduction treatment for breast cancer listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. It will have extended availability on the PBS to reduce risk in people at moderate to high risk of developing breast cancer. Minister Ley called the drug a significant listing for patients at risk of developing breast cancer. She also said it demonstrates the government's commitment to preventing illness by funding new and innovative medicines. I wholeheartedly agree.

We must continue to support the fight against cancer, backing research and development that may one day see its end. While we are working toward that wonderful day, we must also continue easing the burden of cancer sufferers through cheaper treatments for everyone.

Cathy O'Toole (Herbert, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today in this place to second the motion and recognise Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in Australia, causing up to 33 per cent of deaths. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Breast cancer has impacted on my family, as my maternal grandmother lost both of her breasts to breast cancer and in the end it was cancer that took her life. My grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer in her 70s and that was devastating for my family, as she had to leave her home and go south for treatment.

Cancer Australia has estimated that there will be 16,084 new cases of breast cancer diagnosed in 2016. This will include 150 males and 15,934 females. Breast cancer is estimated to be 12.3 per cent of cancer cases diagnosed in 2016. In 2016 is estimated that 3,073 people will die from breast cancer—that is 27 males and 3,046 females. 6.5 per cent of cancer related deaths in 2016 will be attributed to breast cancer.

The chances of surviving breast cancer for at least five years, from research carried out between 2008 and 2012, is 90 per cent. The survival rate has moved from 72.1 per cent in 1983 to 1987. There were 61,554 people living with breast cancer at the end of 2010, diagnosed in the five-year period 2005 to 2010. Breast cancer was the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia in 2012. It is estimated that it will become the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in 2016. Whilst these figures are alarming, we have seen some positive changes. However, these numbers are people. They are grandmothers, mothers, sisters, daughters and, yes—some may be fathers and sons. The impact on families is significant.

Labor has always taken research and treatment of breast cancer very seriously, and during our time in government Labor funded the 57 McGrath Foundation specialist breast cancer nurses to provide critical practical care and emotional support to women diagnosed with breast cancer and their families. The McGrath Foundation is doing magnificent work in raising the profile of breast cancer in Australia and supporting women with breast cancer and their families, so it is extremely unfortunate that so many of these women have not been able to access this support.

In government, Labor committed nearly $4.1 billion to improve the prevention, detection and treatment of cancer. Our cancer care package—World Leading Cancer Care—invested in detection, prevention and cancer care and support. Our Health and Hospitals Fund built 26 regional cancer centres for patients in regional areas. My electorate of Herbert has benefited from one such regional cancer centre.

By any measure, a diagnosis of breast cancer is a scary thing. It is the second leading cause of premature death in women after lung cancer. Throughout the month of October we will remember the thousands of brilliant women we have lost. Throughout October we are reminded that we need to recommit to the fight. We know that participation in breast screening remains stuck at around 54 per cent. That is way too low. As is the case with the rest of their health system and society, there are inequalities. Less than four in 10 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island women are screened. Screening rates also lower for women in very remote areas and women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

That is why the work of Breast Cancer Network Australia and its partners is so important. We need to keep up the effort to educate all Australians about the risk of breast cancer and the importance of screening. We need to provide the best possible support and advocacy for women with breast cancer.

During the election campaign, Labor was proud to commit $7 million to Breast Cancer Network Australia. That commitment would have supported BCNA's work for women with secondary breast cancer in particular. Of course Labor will not get to implement that commitment in this term of parliament, but we will work with the re-elected Turnbull government to improve the prevention, detection, treatment and care of breast cancer. All of us are united in the efforts to save as many women as possible.

John Alexander (Bennelong, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The true tragedy of breast cancer is its ubiquity. Everyone knows someone who has been diagnosed with breast cancer and many, sadly, know someone who has lost their life to the condition. We carry their memory and this pain every day.

In the last fortnight Australia lost another identity to this condition. I lost a friend and former colleague, Rebecca Wilson. Rebecca was a lover of sport, life, people and a jolly good time. Her love of life was infectious. Just weeks before her passing Rebecca could still be seen on our screens and heard on our radios. The speed with which this disease caught up with her is one of its most frightening elements. In 2016 it is estimated that over 15,000 women and 150 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer. This means, on average, 43 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer every day. Sadly, the number of people diagnosed with breast cancer in Australia is increasing; however, thankfully, the number of deaths from breast cancer is heading in the opposite direction. Nevertheless, breast cancer remains the most common cancer diagnosed in Australia in 2016. Given the ageing population, the number of women diagnosed with breast cancer is expected to increase. It is projected that in 2020 over 17,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. This means that nearly 50 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer every day in just four years time. Happily, Australia has one of the best breast cancer survival rates in the world. The chance of surviving at least five years has increased from 72 per cent in 1987 to 90 per cent today. Increasing survival is due to earlier diagnosis through screening and improved treatments.

The coalition has invested nearly $200 million in supporting day-to-day cancer research through government's National Health and Medical Research Council. Additionally, we have committed to provide $18.5 million to the McGrath Foundation to deliver 57 trained breast-care nurses to assist and care for people diagnosed with breast cancer. These nurses are an incredible resource who help huge numbers to cope with this condition. In many cases they are lifesavers, and they deserve all our support and thanks. The government also helps by listing cancer-fighting drugs through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Currently, those that have been approved are worth over $1.9 billion. My electorate of Bennelong is home to many of the pharmaceutical companies that have developed these lifesaving drugs. They include Perjeta, Kadcyla and Herceptin, which have just recently been added to the PBS. These drugs treat secondary breast cancer, which has a very high mortality rate. Tests conducted in Europe have shown that these drugs can increase survival times by nearly 16 months, the longest survival time for any drug used to treat this condition. The government has provided $191 million in funding, and these drugs would cost $82,000 per patient if not subsidised through the PBS. Another recent addition to the PBS is the first preventive risk-reduction treatment for breast cancer, Tamoxifen. More than 9,000 additional patients who are considered to be at moderate to high risk of developing breast cancer are estimated to have subsidised access to this medicine. This listing will save concessional patients more than $200 a year. Local company Astra Zeneca has developed this drug and worked closely with the government to make it more available for thousands of at-risk women.

While I am listing the excellent groups that are helping relieve the suffering of breast cancer, it would be remiss of me not to thank the Breast Cancer Network Australia. They do amazing work in support of all people with this condition and are fierce advocates of anything to help alleviate the suffering it can cause.

This month is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It is a time for us to take stock and recommit to beating cancer. The actions and funds committed by this government, along with the incredible innovative medicines designed by our pharmaceutical sector, are making this day closer than ever. But it still cannot come soon enough.

Susan Lamb (Longman, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to support the motion moved by the member for McMillan. Without doubt, cancer is an insidious disease that affects many, many Australians. In fact, as the member for McMillan notes, it is one of the leading causes of death in Australia. Across the country, approximately 33 per cent of deaths each year are attributable to some form of cancer. Based on these statistics, all of us are likely to experience the trauma of losing a loved one to cancer, a disease for which there is currently no cure. We must focus on better understanding the disease through research.

While many different types of cancers impact Australians, I recognise that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I am particularly concerned about this type of cancer because, in my electorate of Longman, we have an ageing demographic. Indeed, research indicates the risk of breast cancer increases for women aged 55. For regions such as Bribie Island, where the median age of females is 58 years, everything must be done to increase research, invest in preventative measures and provide treatment. All women, regardless of their location, must have access to support services. Breast cancer is the most common and second deadliest cancer in Australian women. Despite advances in research and treatments, the number of diagnoses of breast cancer is shocking. Research indicates it is at a rate of 44 per day, 300 per week and more than 15,600 per year. Those figures are more than alarming; they are an imperative to fund ongoing research into the disease, its causes and its prevention.

I am pleased the government understands the importance of cancer research and has funded the National Health and Medical Research Council and Cancer Australia and has established the Medical Research Future Fund. I also welcome the government providing $18½ million to the McGrath Foundation to deliver additional services to assist and care for people diagnosed with breast cancer. While I will always support additional funding for support and research, I am extremely disappointed about how the Medical Research Future Fund is funded. Let me briefly say that research into health should never be funded through cuts to another health service. Labor understands that the delivery of health services must be independent of cancer research funding. This is why I am proud that, at the last election, Labor made a number of election commitments to support breast cancer research. This package included a $7 million investment to enable the Breast Cancer Network Australia to deliver improved support and information for women with both primary and secondary breast cancer.

While I speak today about these shocking statistics, it is equally important to recognise the emotional, physical and financial costs that accompany the diagnoses. A diagnosis may involve months or years of ongoing medical care. It can take a psychological toll and women must be able to access support services. This is an issue for all women but particularly those who do not live in close proximity to hospitals that offer support. Women in my electorate in areas such as Woodford and Toorbul may need to travel an entire day just to access treatment. Labor understands these women in particular need easy access to psychosocial support not involving extensive travel. This is also why I am also proud that, as part of our election commitments, Labor committed $4.4 million to improve psychosocial support and information for women with secondary breast cancer. This would have allowed the BCNA to deliver a telephone counselling service for women and their families staffed by oncology social workers, expanded access to specialist secondary breast cancer nurses and better access to information.

It is essential that we continue funding for cancer research, including breast cancer research, and I support initiatives that help us better understand this disease.

Craig Laundy (Reid, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak in support of the motion, brought forward by my good friend the member for McMillan, acknowledging that 33 per cent of the deaths that occur in Australia each year are due to cancer. I know today we are focused on breast cancer, and I note that the member for Bennelong spoke about a very topical issue—the loss of a great journalist, Rebecca Wilson, of late. I also speak with the assistant minister's cap on as well, because it is not just, as we have heard from both sides, the $18.5 million for the McGrath Foundation, for the 57 extra nurses, and for medicines that are going onto the PBS as promptly as possible for treating these diseases, but it is also the research and innovation that this government is funding on a daily basis. In February we had the launch of the National Innovation and Science Agenda, and a key component of that is what I think will become a cornerstone of finding cures for all sorts of cancer, not just breast cancer, and that is the Biomedical Translation Fund. Concord hospital is in my electorate of Reid, and adjoining Concord hospital is the ANZAC Research Institute. Over the last three years as a backbencher I have spent time in that quality research institute with some of the most wonderful clinicians and doctors that you would meet anywhere in the world, and they are coming up with some amazingly innovative discoveries like dendritic cells. These cells can be aimed at particular strains of cancer. We will be interested to see where this goes and what changes in treatments there might be over the next period of clinical trials. That is exactly what this government is trying to foster through that Biomedical Translation Fund.

I note Minister Hunt has made mention in the last few days of our innovation funds more broadly. These are a very practical and innovative way for us as a government to fund innovation. I know that, in travels since being made the minister over the past eight weeks, I have met with many medical translation companies, medical research companies, looking to take science out of tertiary institutions—places like CSIRO—and value add to them with the assistance of government, finding ways to come up with the cures of the future. I hope that in the not too distant future we can stand up in this place and talk about and celebrate and congratulate everyone for the cure of all sorts of cancers, particularly breast cancer. Touch wood I have never had to deal with this first hand but I note that previous speakers have had to deal with this as a family issue. I cannot begin to imagine what that must be like.

To the member for McMillan, again, thank you for raising this most important of topics. I know this is an issue that has bipartisan support. As the member for Bennelong said, cancer is ubiquitous. There is neither rhyme nor reason. It hits and hits hard, and all we can do as a government is work on funding the next generation of scientists and science to cure this and all sorts of medical issues. Earlier in the year we buried one of my good friends, an ex-staffer to Mark Arbib, Bridget Whelan. She died of ovarian cancer. That is another horrible strain of cancer that at this stage does not get the attention and the funding that breast cancer gets, but I hope that, through things like the Medical Translation Fund and innovative approaches like this by governments of both persuasions, in the not too distant future we can stand up here united and celebrate overcoming tragic circumstances that have beset families before but hopefully will never beset them again. Russell, well done.

Peter Khalil (Wills, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise in support of the member for McMillan's motion in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which is this October. Awareness of such a difficult issue begins with truly understanding the facts of the matter. Today, like every other day, 43 women will receive a diagnosis that they have breast cancer. By the end of this year, an estimated 15,600 women will have received that news. It has been the uptake of regular breast exams that has most improved the survival prospects of Australian women with breast cancer, and 89 out of every 100 Australian women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer now survive five or more years beyond diagnosis

But, while breast cancer survival rates have never been better, and do continue to improve in Australia, some of these people will receive the news that their cancer has metastasised. This is when the disease spreads to other parts of the body, like bones, lungs, the liver or the brain. It is sometimes known as secondary breast cancer. Regrettably, secondary breast cancer is essentially incurable. It will kill an estimated 3,000 Australian mums, daughters, sisters and friends during 2016. That is a heartbreaking statistic. I am sure we all know someone who has been touched by cancer. Many previous speakers have mentioned this. Survivors almost universally describe their experience as the fight of a lifetime. It is a time where every ounce of strength must be rallied and people's limits are tested to the extreme.

It is for this reason that breast cancer awareness should be focused not only on the correlation between research and survival rates but also on how we are able to assist women through the experience of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. According to Breast Cancer Network Australia, almost a third of women with secondary breast cancer say they do not receive enough emotional support. Another one in five women say they have unmet needs for information. These women suddenly realising that their lifespan is limited presents substantial psychological hurdles. Their needs are unique. Nobody expects to be in this situation. We in this place and in society more broadly owe it to those women to urgently address that lack of support. They should never be alone in their fight. As we have heard from previous speakers, at the last election Labor committed $7 million dollars to increase support of Australian women with secondary breast cancer, as well as women in regional Australia suffering from all forms of breast cancer.

Discussion on this motion, alongside raising awareness, should be a time to applaud the hard work of organisations that do seek to support women undertaking the fight against secondary breast cancer. BCNA is one organisation seeking to support women in such situations. It is the peak consumer organisation for Australians affected by breast cancer and has more than 110,000 members across Australia. As part of Labor's proposed investment in breast cancer support, $4.4 million was to be invested over four years to improve psychosocial support and information for women with secondary breast cancer. BCNA, in particular, proposed to deliver a telephone counselling service for women and their families staffed by oncology social workers, expanded access to specialist secondary breast cancer nurses, and better access to information through a digital platform. The BCNA currently provides specialised services to women in rural Australia. Labor had pledged to continue support for these services until at least 2020, but currently these programs are set to expire in June 2017. That rapidly approaching expiration date should be cause for alarm. I would like to take this opportunity to call on the government to address that without delay.

This motion should also be used to take the opportunity to remember the thousands of women whom we have lost to breast cancer—beloved family members and brilliant friends, gone before their time. To all the women, and their families, currently battling breast cancer: stay strong. We know you will marshal all the support and love you can, and keep faith in the knowledge that the odds that you can beat this have never been better. This motion—I commend the member for McMillan for raising it—demonstrates that everybody in this place stands alongside all those women suffering breast cancer, and their families, in their fight.

Steve Georganas (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The time allotted for this debate has expired. The debate is adjourned and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting.