MORE than 1000 regional people could be living with undiagnosed cancer and Cancer Council Victoria is urging anyone with unexplained symptoms to take swift action.
The Victorian Cancer Registry shows there was an estimated 1024 fewer cancer diagnoses than expected over 2020 and 2021 in regional areas.
The Cancer Council believes this means that the same amount of people may be unknowingly living with cancer, with health experts concerned that if these cancers continue to go undetected, lives will be at risk.
Compounding that risk is the fact that regional Victorians are 10 per cent more likely to die from cancer, compared to people in major cities.
Cancer Council Victoria’s head of screening, early detection and immunisation Kate Broun said increased participation in bowel, breast and cervical cancer screening programs was needed to address cancer rates in regional Victoria.
“We know the earlier cancer is found, the better our chances of treating it,” she said.
“Health professionals are here to support you and want to see if you notice unexplained symptoms no matter how small they may seem
“It’s so important we regularly check our bodies for signs of cancer and see a doctor immediately if we notice any unexplained changes that last more than a few weeks.”
Victorian mother of two Kimberly Hurley said she had no idea her symptoms of lethargy and nausea that lasted weeks would lead to a diagnosis of Stage 4 malignant follicular lymphoma.
“I had noticed feeling heavy and tired for months, but I put this off as signs of starting menopause or just being run down,” she said.
“One weekend I really started to feel sore, so I called in sick and went to see a GP to get a certificate, still not considering my symptoms were a sign of something else going on.
“During my appointment, I spoke to my doctor about my symptoms, who immediately booked me for further testing.”
Mrs Hurley said that when it comes to cancer diagnoses and treatment, “timing is important”.
“My oncologist said my cancer had been growing for 2-3 years without me noticing,” she said.
“But for at least six months before I was diagnosed, I felt the impact of the cancer. I didn’t slow down to listen, nor did I respond to those feelings I had.
“If you think you are going through menopause or any other life stages, don’t try to figure it out for yourself, a doctor can guide you through it.
“No matter what you are experiencing, it helps to seek advice from a doctor.”
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Bendigo Health clinical haematologist Dr Nora Lee said understanding how your body usually feels is important to knowing if something is wrong.
“Some cancer symptoms arising from blood cancers can be hard to recognise at first and range from feeling tired for weeks on end, losing weight unexpectedly, or even bruising,” she said.
“My recommendation is to take note of symptoms which are ‘different’ from how you usually feel.”
More details can be found at Cancer Council Victoria’s early detection website.
