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Step Up the Game in Fighting Gynaecological Cancer this Women’s Health Week

During this Women’s Health Week (5-11 September), let’s update ourselves on the state of play in gynaecological cancer treatment in Australia.

Did you know?

Brachytherapy is a form of radiation therapy that can effectively treat gynaecological cancers and save women’s lives.

Brachytherapy is vital for curing thousands of women with gynaecological (cervix and uterine) cancers. It is a specialised and complex treatment delivered by a highly skilled team of professionals at a small number of cancer centres across Australia and New Zealand but is low cost as compared to other cancer treatments.

Unfortunately, brachytherapy is becoming less available in Australia, NZ and worldwide. This means more and more women are tragically missing out on brachytherapy, leading to much needless suffering and death.

Why so? One reason is a major lack of funding from the government for sustainable brachytherapy services. Without adequate funding, fewer centres will be able to continue to deliver brachytherapy services and to train specialists to deliver this highly specialised treatment to women. This trend will affect all women, with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island women particularly at risk due to higher rates of disease. Fragmented services will also negatively affect women from regional areas.

In this Women’s Health Week, help us raise awareness of brachytherapy. Well-resourced and coordinated brachytherapy services are essential for saving the lives of women with gynaecological cancers in Australia!

Learn more about brachytherapy for cervix cancer.

Learn more about brachytherapy for uterine cancer.