Early detection is crucial
THIS week is NAIDOC Week (July 8-15), a time to recognise and celebrate the contributions of indigenous Australians.
The theme, “Because of Her, We Can” honours the role of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and the influence they have in their local community and across Australia.
This is also an important opportunity to raise awareness of women’s health inequalities to close the gap in survival disparities for cancer and other chronic diseases.
While indigenous cancer survival rates have improved, disparity rates remain unchanged between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians.
While some reasons for the disparity remain unknown, we know that indigenous people are more likely to be diagnosed with late-stage cancers, and overall have lower participation rates in cancer screening.
This week we’re urging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women to take part in eligible screening, and encourage other women in their life to take part.
Screening rates are currently lower among indigenous Queenslanders for all three programs – improvement in uptake is vital to help detect cancer early and save more lives.
Tragically, about 20 per cent of the cancer deaths among indigenous cancer patients can still be attributed to the survival disparity – taking part in eligible screening programs could help close some of that gap. Chris McMillan, CEO, Cancer Council Queensland 1533: Pope Clement VII excommunicates
England’s King Henry VIII. 1921: Mongolia declares its
independence from China. 1975: China’s great Terracotta Army (above) is uncovered near the ancient capital Xian. 1978: A truck carrying industrial gas explodes and sets fire to campsite on Mediterranean coast in Spain, killing at least 180 people. 1992: Six people drown after falling into
the Kiama blowhole in NSW. 2002: South Korean President Kim Daejung appoints the country’s first female prime minister, Chang Sang. 2014: Death of Tommy Ramone, cofounder of seminal punk band the Ramones, aged 65. 2015: Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman escapes from the Altiplano maximum-security prison.