Jill leads way on ovarian cancer

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An army of advocates. That’s what Jill Emberson wants to build as she pushes for more funds and research into ovarian cancer.

The 2019 Newcastle Citizen of the Year attended a Teal Ribbon breakfast at Parliament House, Canberra, last week to mark Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.

 “If cancer is the most dreaded word then, for most women, ovarian is the worst adjective to put in front of it,” Ms Emberson told Newcastle Weekly.

A former ABC Newcastle breakfast host, Ms Emberson was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2016 and underwent treatment, only for it to return.

Regarded as a rare or less common cancer, it has a five-year survival rate of 46%.

In comparison, common cancers, such as breast and prostate, sit at 91% and 95% respectively.

According to Cancer Australia data, breast cancer received $111 million in research funding from 2014-18, while prostate cancer was handed $42 million, and ovarian cancer picked up $27 million.

 “Historically, most of the funding has gone to the common cancers, across the board, in Australia,” Ms Emberson said.

“That leads to more research, which has a snowballing effect and you get better outcomes.

“The government is taking the approach of ‘Let’s get the biggest bang for buck and solve the most common cancer’, and breast cancer is certainly the biggest.

“But, now that we have survival rates at 91%, it’s time to turn the attention to cancers such as mine.

“We are unable to form the army of advocates that the biggest cancers have been able to form because we die quickly – we can’t join fundraising groups and community groups.”

Ms Emberson said she was pleased to speak in front of an “unusually political” audience, which included Prime Minister Scott Morrison, in Canberra.

She added her Australia Day honour in Newcastle had provided a much-needed boost in the push to raise more awareness.

“[The Citizen of the Year award] certainly helped me feel good and encouraged me to go on,” she said.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity in Newcastle for our community to listen up.”

Teal Ribbon Day – an event to support Australians living with ovarian cancer, honour those lost, and raise awareness – will take place on Wednesday 27 February.

You can buy a teal ribbon for $3 via ovariancancer.net.au and at TerryWhite pharmacies.

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