Biggest morning tea celebrated locally

Member for Macedon, Mary-Anne Thomas celebrated the Biggest Morning Tea with local members of the community in her electorate office raising $400 to support cancer research.

Cancer is a leading contributor to the burden of disease in Victoria. There are 95 new diagnoses each day, one every 15 minutes, in our state. Since 1982, cancer incidence has steadily increased, with annual rate increases of 0.6 per cent for both men and women.

While the increase in cancer rates is small, the growth and ageing of the Victorian population result in a much larger annual increase (3 per cent) in actual numbers of cancers diagnosed. Nearly half (46 per cent) of cancers diagnosed are in Victorians aged over 70 years, and less than 2 per cent are in those people aged under 30 years.

The five most common cancers in Victoria are prostate, breast, bowel, melanoma and lung, collectively accounting for 57 per cent of all new cancers and 46 per cent of cancer deaths.While an average of 30 people die from cancer every day in Victoria, death rates continue to decline. Since 1982, annual decreases of 1.6 per cent for males and 1.2 per cent for females have been recorded. These reductions reflect earlier detection of cancers through screening, reductions in tobacco use – especially in males – and improvements in treatment.

Overall, from 1982 to 2016, five-year survival rates for cancer increased from 46 per cent to 68 per cent but more work in research always needs to be done.

Quotes attributable to Member for Macedon Mary-Anne Thomas
" Cancer has sadly touched the lives of so many people in our community. I urge community members to make use of the free screening services for bowel and breast cancer. Building a strong relationship with a GP is critical to the prevention and early detection of cancer."