Kara Cook (Bonner, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Parkes is a hard act to follow. Today is World Cancer Day, and this month is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. This morning, I and many of my colleagues in this place attended an event hosted by Ovarian Cancer Australia, where we heard directly from women and families living with the reality of a disease that is too often overlooked. Their stories are a powerful reminder of why greater awareness and action matters.

Today I want to raise awareness of this horrific disease that around 1,900 Australian women are diagnosed with each year. Although it is the ninth-most common cancer in females, ovarian cancer is the fifth-leading cause of cancer death. Survival remains low. Two in three women are diagnosed at advanced stages, and less than half of those diagnosed survive beyond five years. This survival rate has barely changed in 50 years. That's why the Albanese government is backing ovarian cancer research through targeted funding and expanded access to affordable medicines on the PBS. This includes $386,000 for the TRACKFORWARD project, and the government is also ensuring women are supported with treatments such as zejula and lynparza medications, improving options, outcomes and access for women who need it most.

More than 300 women each year in Australia will now not be faced with more than $100,000 for the cost of these medications; they are now listed on the PBS at a cost of just $25. Labor is delivering for women today and every day. (Time expired)