Bowel Cancer Awareness
By the year 2020, Australians between the age of 50 and 74 will receive free, at home bowel cancer screening kits every 2 years. The Government’s ‘Gift for Living’ campaign seeks to raise awareness and early detection of bowel cancer by encouraging the demographic to test themselves at home.
Bowel cancer is the most common cause of cancer deaths in Australia, with approximately 80 people dying from the disease each week. Eighty percent of cases have no known hereditary genetic associations and approximately 80 people die from the disease each week.
Australia has one of the highest rates of bowel cancer in the world. It often has no symptoms but if it is detected early up to 90% of bowel cancers can be successfully treated.
Federal MP John Cobb deemed the statistics of the cancer ‘horrific’ and said “early detection unquestionably can save your life. I encourage everyone to complete and return their screening kit, as the more people that are screened the more lives will be saved.”
The kit will allow the recipients to carry out the test easily and discreetly in the comfort of their home, which could save someone’s life.
The Sad Statistics of Asthma
Asthma is a condition that affects the airways and can often make it difficult to breathe as the airways narrow. One in ten people have asthma, meaning over 2 million people in Australia have problems breathing.
According to the Bureau of Statistics, older women are the highest demographic at risk of dying from asthma. In 2013, 122 people died from asthma, and more than 57% of asthma deaths occurred in people aged 75 and over.
Asthma has a higher toll on women, with women over 75 two to three times more likely to die from asthma than men of the same age. Even more serious is the statistic that around half of all people with asthma aged 75 years and over have never had the problem diagnosed by a doctor.
“Contrary to popular belief, people can get asthma for the first time later in their lives,” said Dr Jonathan Burdon, Chair of the National Asthma Council. “It is essential that those who experience asthma signs and symptoms take action, and not dismiss or confuse them as simply due to old age.”
Tuesday the 5th was World Asthma Day, and the National Asthma Council used the day to urge Australians to make sure they have an up-to-date asthma action plan, encouraging them to regularly discuss asthma control with their doctor.
Cowra Dental Group
Cowra Dental Group is where great dentistry meets the best in service and technology. The team at the Kendal St practice can provide a broad range of services like implants, invisalign, dentures, root canals and fillings. It is one of the most up to date dental practices in the area and can cater to patients of all ages, some of who might actually enjoy a visit to the dentist chair.
Early Detection The Best Protection
The breast screening bus is in town for the month of May at the Canowindra Showground, reminding women in the region between the ages of 50-74 to have their free screening mammogram every 2 years. No doctor’s referral is needed and the screening only takes 15 minutes.
Statistics show that breast cancer is the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths among women in Australia. More than 75 percent of breast cancers appear in women over the age of 50, and most cases of breast cancer have no family history of the disease.
More than 1.8 million women are screened every 2 years. 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime, but less than 1 in 2 women attend regular breast screenings.
Early detection is the best protection against cancer. Breast screening can find cancers before they can be physically felt or noticed. Early detection means a better chance of survival; 9 out of 10 cases can be successfully treated if detected early.
The government is investing over $55 million to boost screening awareness for people who may be at risk, including the delivery of an additional 220,000 breast screens over 4 years. The program is ‘an invitation that could save your life’, and could potentially lead to the detection of an extra 600 breast cancers in Australia each year.
With Mother’s Day coming up, consider your mother, daughters, sisters and friends, and encourage them to get a screening. It’s free, and it could save someone’s life. Women outside the 50-74 age bracket are encouraged to visit their GP or health professional to find out if breast screening is appropriate for them. For further information, visit www.breastscreen.nsw.gov.au or call 13 20 50, and remember – early detection is the best protection!
