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THE HON NICOLA ROXON MP

Former Minister for Health and Ageing

First Ever Brain Cancer Action Week

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Inaugural Brain Cancer Action Week launched by Minister for Health and Ageing Nicola Roxon.

PDF printable version of First Ever Brain Cancer Action Week (PDF 20 KB)

2 May 2010

Today I am honoured to launch the inaugural Brain Cancer Action Week.

Brain Cancer Action Week will bring together medical research institutes, clinicians and Cancer Councils to boost scientific research and to raise awareness about brain cancer.

Brain cancer is rare, but deadly. While less than 1 person in 190* is diagnosed with brain cancer, sufferers have only a 19 per cent chance of surviving for five years – placing it among the lowest five-year cancer survival rates in Australia.

The Australian Government is committed to fighting cancer through prevention, early detection and evidence-based treatment and care.

Last year the Government committed a record $2 billion to build a world-class cancer care system for Australia.

This will help take up the fight against cancer and includes:

  • $526 million to build two Integrated Cancer Centres that will provide state-of-the-art cancer treatment, combined with cutting-edge research - Lifehouse at RPA in Sydney and the Parkville Comprehensive Cancer Centre in Melbourne.
  • $70 million to expand the Garvan/St Vincent’s Cancer Centre in Sydney.
  • $560 million to build a network of best practice regional cancer centres.
  • A total of $24.4 million has been awarded for research grants related to brain cancers over the past decade by National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) – the Government’s main health and medical research agency.
Alongside research, the Australian Government is funding the Support for Cancer Clinical Trials program. Under this program in 2008, Cancer Australia has established the Cooperative Trials Group for Neuro-Oncology, which has since been awarded a total of $530,000 to continue its important work in conducting clinical trials in brain tumours.

Brain Cancer Action Week is an initiative from the NSW Cancer Council and the Cancer Council of Australia, building on the success of the NSW Council’s Grey Matters campaign to increase research into the disease.

The Government congratulates these groups for their determination to raise awareness of brain cancer and improve diagnosis and treatment of this terrible disease and wishes them well in their community fundraising efforts.

*The overall chances of being diagnosed with cancer under the age of 75 are 1 in 3 for men and 1 in 4 for women.


For all media inquiries, please contact the Minister's Office on 02 6277 7220

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