Labor to commit $30 million to cancer care

A re-elected Labor government would spend $30 million on new cancer care and prevention strategies it was announced today.

Premier Geoff Gallop said that about 20 people every day were diagnosed with cancer.

"It is the leading single cause of death in Western Australia," he said.

The Premier said the Labor Government would place a special focus on treatment and services for cancer
patients in rural communities.

"More than 52,000 Western Australians are living with some form of cancer and about 20 per cent of those
people live in the country," Dr Gallop said.

Dr Gallop said medical research showed that cancer patients who lived in remote areas were 35% to 300% more likely to die within five years than people who lived close to health services.

"Rural cancer patients often have to travel hundreds of kilometres to regional or metropolitan hospitals for
their treatment," Dr Gallop said.

"Tragically, because of the tyranny of distance, many of these patients don't make the journey and don't get
the treatment they need.

Under the Gallop Government's $30milllion plan, $16million would be allocated for cancer prevention and
care programs, including:

• Establishing an Office of State-wide Director of Cancer Services;

• Cancer nursing care coordinators - 10 in rural centres and 10 in the metropolitan area - to provide

• Specialised cancer doctors in country hospitals to provide outpatient services and train and educate

• Improving access to specialised cancer services for people in rural Western Australia.

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Last Modified: Wednesday, 16-Nov-2005 17:19:24 EST