Preventative Health Checks Save Lives - a message from Cr Jim Child

The importance of preventative health checks was brought home to me recently.  After a check up with my doctor, I was advised to take a precautionary colonoscopy after a bowel test came back negative. The doctor then delivered the news no one wants to hear: I have bowel cancer.

I recently had surgery to remove a tumour, which will be followed by chemotherapy treatment.

My prognosis is good – the doctors expect to be able to remove the tumour, and are confident the cancer has not spread. So things are looking positive.

Others are perhaps not so lucky when receiving this news.

This diagnosis has given me an opportunity to raise awareness about the prevalence of bowel cancer, and the importance of bowel cancer screening tests that are freely available for residents over 50 years of age.

Bowel cancer is Australia’s second most common type of cancer. In Australia 80 people die from bowel cancer every week, and around 1 in 10 men and 1 in 15 women are diagnosed with the disease by the age of 85 every year.

When I think about these statistics in the context of Yarra Ranges Council as an organisation, those numbers are alarming. And if you look around the Yarra Ranges community, chances are we all know of someone who has been impacted by this terrible disease.

Bowel Cancer Australia says the bowel cancer screening test is one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of dying from bowel cancer. When identified early, 90 per cent of bowel cancer cases can be successfully treated.

The free bowel screening test could very well have saved my life – and it could save yours too.

I urge anyone in the Yarra Ranges who is over 50 years old to make the most of the free bowel screening test. Information about how to access a free kit is available at www.cancerscreening.gov.au  or by phoning 1800 118 868.

And of course, regular check ups at your doctor are also an important preventative measure for overall health. I have regularly practised annual health checks including blood pressure, cholesterol, prostate and other men’s health issues. It was while undergoing one of these checks that my GP recommended another test, which then alerted me to my current health issue.

For more information about bowel cancer, I encourage you all to go to www.bowelcanceraustralia.org or www.cancer.org.au . Donations for research into bowel cancer can also be made through the Bowel Cancer Australia website.

Cr Jim Child