Early cancer detection ads unblocked

This article was published in the Mid-West Times on 29 May 2019.

Regional West Australians will receive potentially life saving early cancer detection information after Gmail overturned its decision to block a series of Cancer Council ads.

The email service provider blocked the ads last month after they were deemed too crude because of their references to “intimate bodily functions”.

Facebook also blocked the ads, which warn of symptoms such as “runny poo” and “blood in your pee”.

Cancer Council WA regional education officer Kate Raston digital platforms were one of the only effective ways to reach older people in remote and regional WA.

“We managed to reach over 13,000 regional people during this condensed advertising period, with over 1,100 seeking further information after seeing the ads.” she said.

“These education messages save lives as a poor understanding of cancer symptoms and the fact country people often delay going to the doctor causes to many avoidable deaths.” Rural Australians re up to 30 per cent more likely to die within five years of a cancer diagnosis than those in metropolitan areas, according to Cancer Council WA.

Visit findcancerearly.com.au for more information about cancer symptoms.