Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Many people are unaware that brain cancer is one of the most lethal cancers of all. It is the leading killer of people under the age of 39 and children under the age of 10, yet it receives very little research funding. So today I am calling for more money for research into brain cancer and I am also calling on Australians to give generously in putting some money towards research into brain cancer. Brain cancer is not only the leading cause of cancer death of young people under the age of 39 and children under the age of 10; it carries the highest financial burden of all cancers.

In its malignant form, it is almost 100 per cent fatal. It is one of the most understudied of all cancers. In Australia, around 1,600 people a year will be diagnosed with brain cancer and approximately 12,000 will die. One person is diagnosed with brain cancer every six hours. Every eight hours one person dies.

On Sunday the people of the Hunter will have a unique opportunity to support the Mark Hughes Foundation, when the mighty Knights take on the Dragons. In this home game the Knights 'old boys' will be supporting the Mark Hughes Foundation.

A division having been called in the House of Representatives

Sitting suspended from 12:31 to 12:45

Before the division, I was talking about the Knights Old Boys' game on Sunday at the Newcastle football stadium.

Two-time premier winning former Knights utility back, Mark Hughes, was one of the regular Old Boys. Mark was diagnosed with brain cancer 12 months ago. Since being diagnosed with brain cancer, Mark has established the Mark Hughes Foundation. In conjunction with the Hunter Medical Research Institute and the Sydney Neuro-Oncology Group they are raising funds to fight this insidious disease. The Old Boys' charity partners will host the Dragons—the mighty Knights will be taking on the Dragons in their home game on Sunday—and at this game people will have the opportunity to donate to the Mark Hughes foundation.

The Knights have been fantastic supporters of the Mark Hughes Foundation ever since it started. It is very exciting and this year this is a very special event. Just give you an idea of the impost that it has on Mark Hughes's life: he very well at the moment but he undergoes scans every three months to keep on top of his condition. The most recent of those was last week and it showed that he is in good health. He is getting out there and he has turned what was a catastrophe in his life to an opportunity to help other people.

The Mark Hughes Foundation is affiliated with the Hunter Medical Research Institute—a very strong research institute, one of the best in Australia. In conjunction with the Foundation they have created a strong emphasis on brain cancer research in the Hunter region. This will only benefit people within the Hunter, but that research into brain cancer must not be localised just to the Hunter.

At this particular time I would like to congratulate the Hunter Medical Research Institute for agreeing to partner with the Mark Hughes Foundation. This partnership will translate into research and, hopefully, it will initiate pioneering clinical and biomedical research that leads towards the prevention of brain cancer, a cure and earlier diagnosis so that those people who are diagnosed with brain cancer will have the opportunity to undertake treatment before it is too late. Quite often it is one of those cancers that sneak up on people and when it is finally diagnosed quite often it is too late to provide a lasting cure.

The foundation also partners with SNOG, which is Sydney Neuro-Oncology Group, and they are looking at brain cancer research and support. It is a charitable organisation that aims to improve the management of brain tumours through targeted research, education and ongoing support for people living with brain cancer, and also for their families.

Another organisation that has been at the cutting edge of research into brain tumours is Cure Brain Cancer Foundation, which is Charlie Teo's research group. He is always out there arguing for more money, for more investment, for greater knowledge and better education around the issue of brain cancer. I am sure there would not be a member of this House who has not been associated with somebody who has had to fight the battle with brain cancer that is ongoing in Australia all the time. I talked about the statistics a little earlier and they are quite frightening.

As well as Cure Brain Cancer Foundation, there is also Shine a Life, Chris O'Brien's foundation. His fight with brain cancer has been well documented, both in this House and in other places. Now what I would like to do is call on everyone in the Hunter to get behind the Mark Hughes Foundation, go along to the Knights game—they will have a good day—and donate to his foundation.