Julian Leeser (Berowra, Liberal Party, Shadow Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Andrew Saliba is a member of a celebrated Lebanese Australian family in my community. At just 36 years old, he was told by his doctor that he was too young to have anything seriously wrong with him. However, months later, he was diagnosed with stage 3 bowel cancer. With two young daughters at home, Andrew knew he had to fight, and, after three years, he is now cancer free. Every day though, Andrew still faces struggles, from bathroom habits to the physical toll of treatment. At one point, he feared he'd never be able to work as an electrician again.

Andrew's story reminds us of a hard truth. Bowel cancer isn't just something older people get; it's the deadliest cancer for Australians aged 25 to 54. Each year, more than 1,700 Australians under 50 are diagnosed with bowel cancer. Bowel cancer rates are now two to three times higher among Australians born in the nineties than those born in the 1950s. Too often, young people experiencing symptoms are told they're just too young for bowel cancer. This means young people take, on average, 60 per cent longer to receive a diagnosis, often at a later stage when outcomes are much worse.

That's why Bowel Cancer Australia's Never2Young campaign is so important in raising awareness, calling for a lower screening age, ensuring prompt GP referral, improving treatment pathways and funding more research. Andrew Saliba's courage in sharing his story will encourage others to get checked and remind us all, importantly, that no-one's ever too young to get tested for bowel cancer.