Ovarian Cancer Awareness Week
PDF printable version of Ovarian Cancer Awareness Week (PDF 25 KB)
24 February 2008
NR08/23
The Minister for Health and Ageing, Nicola Roxon, took the opportunity today at the start of the 2008 Ovarian Cancer Awareness Week – titled ‘No one knows your body like you do’ - to highlight to the community the impact that ovarian cancer has on Australian women.
Every year nearly 1100 Australian women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer and nearly 900 die from the disease, the sixth most common cause of cancer death in women.
Ovarian cancer is very difficult to detect in its early stages because of its vague symptoms. There is currently no simple screening test or examination to detect ovarian cancer at an early stage.
While advances have been made in survival rates for breast cancer, there have been no recent breakthroughs in ovarian cancer, and survival rates have barely improved.
During National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Week, the National Breast and Ovarian Cancer Centre (NBOCC) will launch an important new ovarian cancer awareness campaign to inform women about possible symptoms of the disease.
The NBOCC will also launch a new ovarian cancer training module for its General Practitioner Education Series. The ovarian cancer module will support GPs in the investigation of women who present with symptoms that may be ovarian cancer, and all aspects of their diagnosis and care.
The Rudd Government’s commitment to improving outcomes for people with the condition includes:
- $5.1 million for the continued operation of the National Centre for Gynaecological Cancers (GCGC), under the auspices of Cancer Australia; and
- $15 million for independent clinical trials of drugs and research into cancer treatments to be administered by Cancer Australia
These initiatives are part of the Rudd Government’s National Cancer Plan.
Information about events to be held across Ovarian Cancer Awareness Week can be found by visiting the NBOCC website:
http://www.ovariancancerprogram.org.au/info/
Media Contact: Mark Ward – 0437 125 938
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