The Independent Member for Denison, Andrew Wilkie, will accept a Unicorn Foundation petition of 10,000 signatures from a group of people living with uncommon cancers. The group includes Jim Franke, a Tasmanian resident living with Neuroendocrine Cancer.
The petition seeks funding from the Federal Government to continue 1300 CURE NETs, the first Nurse Cancer helpline service for people with Neuroendocrine Cancers.
According to the Unicorn Foundation, uncommon cancers such as Neuroendocrine Cancers (NETs) are often overlooked by the health system resulting in mortality rates double that of common cancers such as those affecting the breast or prostate. If you get an uncommon cancer such as NETs you have only a 40 per cent chance of surviving five years compared with a 90 per cent chance of surviving five years with breast cancer. These odds have not changed for uncommon cancers for decades.
NETs affect more than 10,000 Australian men and women, some as young as 13 years old. Steve Jobs of Apple died of a NET.
The Unicorn Foundation is the peak body representing the needs of all Australian NETs and rare and less common cancer patients.
Andrew Wilkie MP, Independent Member for Denison
