This World Cancer Day (4 February), spare a thought for the 22,800 Australians currently living with lung cancer who have a low survival rate and limited access to specialist care — despite lung cancer being the leading cause of cancer death in Australia.
However, the theme for World Cancer Day 2022-2024 is ‘Close the Care Gap’ with 2023 focused on celebrating real-world, and much needed, progress.
Mark Brooke, CEO of Lung Foundation Australia said the day on February 4 is an opportunity to shine a light on lung cancer, which has the lowest survival rate of the five most common cancers, with just 21% of people making it to five years.
“Current investment in Commonwealth-funded nurses is completely inequitable. Since 2019, less than $1 million – the lowest level of Commonwealth funding for specialist nurses – has been allocated to lung cancer nurses.
“This is compared to the federal government investing $30 million for breast cancer and $23 million for prostate cancer nurses. If we’re talking about closing the care gap, government investment is an essential place to start,” Mr Brooke explained.
“Last year, 14,529 Australians were diagnosed with lung cancer – that’s nearly 40 people a day. And shockingly, there’s only around 35 lung cancer nurses in our country to care for patients who have unmet needs, lower quality of life and poorer outcomes as a result.”
“We’ve requested $5 million be allocated in the 2023-2024 federal budget to support rapidly scaling up support for the thousands of Australians who desperately need access to this specialist support.
“Lung cancer nurses, like breast cancer and prostate cancer nurses, are proven to facilitate crucial care and support for people diagnosed with cancer. Only with proper funding can lung cancer patients get the care and resources they need during an already traumatic diagnosis,” Mr Brooke added.
Lung Foundation Australia is urging the federal government to invest in lung cancer, as well as continue the progress that was achieved last year when the Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC) recommended lung cancer screening.
The introduction of a screening program (costing approximately $300M over the next five years) will bring lung cancer prevention in line with other leading cancers; bowel, cervical, and breast cancers, which all have a significantly higher 5-year survival rate at 70%, 74%, and 92% respectively.
“Other common cancers that have screening are detected much earlier and lead to earlier diagnosis; ultimately providing greater treatment options for patients and a higher likelihood of survival. This same outlook should be afforded to people with lung cancer, which can happen to anyone — approximately one fifth are life-long non-smokers,” Mr Brooke stated.
Lorraine, who has lung cancer, is also calling for urgent action.
“In 2017, I was diagnosed with two primary cancers: breast cancer and lung cancer. I was not experiencing symptoms of either cancer. The breast cancer was picked up early through screening and was cured through two surgeries. A devastating diagnosis but an excellent outcome.
“Unfortunately, the lung cancer was only found by accident, it had already spread, and it will most likely kill me. I wish there had been a lung cancer screening program in place to find my cancer early, just like breast cancer,” Lorraine explained.
Results from an enquiry show that in the first 10 years, a targeted lung cancer screening program would prevent over 12,000 deaths, improve quality of life and be cost effective. “We know that it will also reduce the financial burden, which costs $448m each year to the health system, associated with lung cancer in the long term,” Mr Brooke said.
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