CLAIRE CLUTTERHAM MP, FEDERAL MEMBER FOR STURT: Good morning, everyone. We are here this morning at the Icon Cancer Centre in Windsor Gardens in the north-east of the electorate of Sturt. Today we're talking about Men's Health Week and Red Apple Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness of bowel cancer and what we can do to prevent this terrible disease.
I'm fortunate enough to be joined by Dan Repacholi, the Federal Member for Hunter and Special Envoy for Men's Health, Ellen Mills, State Manager for Icon Cancer Centres, and Patrick Lim from Bowel Cancer Australia.
Patrick has been through a truly challenging bowel cancer journey and has come out the other side in remission. We're very grateful that he has, because he's now doing wonderful advocacy work on behalf of Bowel Cancer Australia, encouraging Australians to get tested, look after their health and not ignore symptoms.
I'll hand over to Dan Repacholi.
DAN REPACHOLI MP, SPECIAL ENVOY FOR MEN'S HEALTH: Thanks Claire.
It's an absolute pleasure to be here today at Icon Cancer Centre in the seat of Sturt with Claire, who is a fantastic local member and a strong advocate for her community.
It's also great to be here with Ellen from Icon Cancer Centres and Patrick Lim from Bowel Cancer Australia. Patrick is a bowel cancer survivor and we'll hear shortly about his lived experience with this terrible disease.
It's Men's Health Week, so blokes, get excited. We need to be putting our health front and centre. Unfortunately, bowel cancer is one of those diseases that affects both men and women at very high rates.
Today is also Red Apple Day, which is all about bowel cancer awareness. We need to make sure that men and women are completing their bowel screening tests.
These test kits are sent out free through the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program. If you're eligible and receive one, don't leave it sitting on the bench, in a drawer or throw it in the bin.
Unfortunately, only around 41.7 per cent of these kits are returned.
This is the only time you'll get to send a bit of crap back to the government, so make sure you do it.
We're losing around 54 men every week to bowel cancer. Those are significant numbers and numbers we need to change.
If participation rates increase to 60 per cent, modelling shows we could save around 84,000 lives by 2040.
Please don't ignore these kits. They are free, simple and could save your life.
To younger Australians, Patrick's story highlights why it's important to pay attention to symptoms. If something isn't right, see your GP. If you notice changes in your bowel habits or symptoms that concern you, have that conversation.
And while it's Men's Health Week, I also encourage blokes to book in with their GP and get a blood test. If we can get just 10 per cent more Australian men seeing their GP and getting a blood test, we will save thousands of lives.
There are 101 good reasons to see your GP. Use one of them and book an appointment.
I'll now hand over to Patrick.
PATRICK LIM, PATIENT ADVOCATE: Thanks Dan.
I'm Patrick Lim and I'm here on behalf of Bowel Cancer Australia.
I was diagnosed with bowel cancer at 37 years of age. I went through six months of chemotherapy and radiation treatment, followed by surgery, a temporary stoma and eventually a reversal procedure.
Today I'm cancer free.
My message is simple: see your GP when symptoms appear.
In my case, I experienced symptoms for around six months before seeking medical advice. That delay led to a delayed diagnosis and delayed treatment.
We know that when bowel cancer is detected early, treatment outcomes are significantly better, with survival rates of around 90 per cent.
From a Men's Health Week perspective, I think we can all do better at having a regular GP. Before my diagnosis I didn't have one. Now I have a GP who knows my medical history and helps manage my ongoing health.
JOURNALIST: What ultimately led to your diagnosis?
LIM: I experienced severe pain and symptoms which eventually led me to present at an emergency department.
After a CT scan I was fast-tracked for a colonoscopy, and that's when the cancer was found.
JOURNALIST: What was that moment like?
LIM: I don't know if shock is the right word. After the CT scan I was asked to return to hospital the next day.
I spent much of that day speaking with different surgeons and medical staff. At that point I knew something wasn't right.
During the colonoscopy I briefly woke up and could see the screen. I saw healthy bowel tissue and then I saw the tumour. I remember asking the nurse if that was it, and she said yes. I asked whether it was bad, and she said yes.
A short time later I was formally diagnosed with bowel cancer.
JOURNALIST: What would you say to people who are putting off doing these home screening tests?
LIM: I think there can be embarrassment, people are busy, or they think it won't happen to them.
That was certainly part of my mindset.
These kits are important. There's nothing embarrassing about looking after your health.
Many of us are busy supporting families and building careers, but your health is the foundation that allows you to do those things. If you don't look after yourself, you can't look after others.
ELLEN MILLS, STATE MANAGER, ICON CANCER CENTRES: Thank you.
I'm Ellen Mills, South Australian State Manager for Icon Cancer Centres.
It's great to be here with Dan, Claire and Patrick on Red Apple Day.
We're proud to partner with Bowel Cancer Australia and provide specialist bowel cancer nurses who support patients throughout their treatment journey.
We currently have specialist bowel cancer nurses located at Windsor Gardens and at our centre in Kurralta Park.
They provide practical support, help patients navigate the health system and offer care from diagnosis right through to survivorship.
We're incredibly proud of the work they do and the support they provide to patients and families.
JOURNALIST: Are you seeing increased demand for cancer services?
MILLS: Yes, absolutely.
We continue to grow each year and we're proud to provide services close to home because we know that makes a real difference for patients.
At this centre alone we're providing around 6,000 infusion treatments annually and radiotherapy services to more than 1,000 patients each year.
Across Australia, Icon Cancer Centres operates more than 50 centres, helping ensure patients can access treatment closer to home.
JOURNALIST: Are we seeing more bowel cancer diagnoses, particularly among younger people?
CLUTTERHAM: We are seeing increasing rates of early-onset bowel cancer among younger Australians.
People under 45 can speak with their GP about screening options, and bowel screening kits are available through pharmacies as well.
If something doesn't seem right, trust your instincts and seek medical advice.
For those who receive a screening kit in the mail, do the test.
Only around 41 per cent of kits are currently returned, which means many opportunities for early detection are being missed.
Sometimes people think they'll do it later, or that it won't happen to them. But bowel cancer doesn't discriminate.
Taking a few minutes to complete the test could save your life.
I'd also like to acknowledge the incredible staff here at Icon Cancer Centre.
We had the opportunity to tour the facility this morning and were struck by the professionalism, care and compassion shown by the nurses, oncologists and support staff.
We're incredibly fortunate to have people dedicating their careers to supporting Australians through cancer treatment and recovery.