Cancer put under the microscope at information session.
If found early, you have a much better chance of having a good outcome.
This article was written by Emilee Neeson and was published in the West Australian on 22 October 2018.
The Cancer Council is encouraging residents in regional WA to start the conversation on cancer and prevention after a public information session at the Goldfields Arts Centre on Wednesday.
The Cancer Council held the public session to celebrate its 60th anniversary and separate the facts from fiction regarding popular cancer-causing myths and claims.
Covering everything from well-known causes of cancer and the different types of carcinogens, to early detection and debunking false causes of cancer, regional education manager Cassandra Clayforth, regional education officer Rachel Jolly and chief executive Ashley Reid spoke to survivors, residents and health professionals about the importance of evidence-based science and education programs.
“Cancer is a scary thing and people don’t want to think about it until someone in their family is affected and then it becomes all they think about,” he said.
“It is not often a pleasant dinner conversation to talk about cancer but we’re trying to give permission to have really honest conversations about what causes cancer, what doesn’t cause it, what to do if you’re diagnosed, where to get support and the kinds of thing Cancer Council can help you with.”
Mr Reid said the regional roadshows were designed to increase education about cancer, particularly in rural communities.
“There are inequities in cancer outcomes for regional people, so we want to make sure we are getting good evidence-based information out to the regions,” he said.
“If found early, you have a much better chance of having a good outcome.”