Free seminar to help women take control of their health
In 2019, it is estimated that more than 60,000 women in Australia will be diagnosed with Cancer, but there are things you can do to reduce your risk of being one of them.
On 20 September, local women are invited to attend a free seminar aimed at empowering women to take control of their own health. Seven different health professionals will speak on cancer screening, the impact of family history on cancer and lifestyle factors that increase your cancer risk.
Organiser of the Women’s Cancer Risk Management Expo, local medical oncologist, Lauren Bradbury, said the event is all about doing everything they can to stop women needing to come and see her.
“It is very much about to reducing cancer risk and hopefully preventing cancer from occurring in the first place,” said Lauren.
“So the purpose of this is to educate ladies about the screening that is out there, about the different types of cancer that they may come across in their lifetime, and about modifiable lifestyle factors — smoking, exercise, diet — and family history and why that might be important.”
McGrath Breast Care Nurse, Sue Kuter, said while not every cancer is preventable, there are simple choices women can make to reduce their risk of getting cancer.
“So we want to get to those people and try to help them understand that it is potentially their lifestyle habits that are causing them to need to see us,” said Sue.
For those who do receive a cancer diagnosis, early detection is key to successful treatment, which is why this event will also focus on the many screening options available.
“Even these days people slip through the cracks, they don't know about doing the right screening — stool testing kits or when they have to start having mammograms and pap smears, things like that,” said Lauren.
“So this is about educating and empowering women to take control of their own health; to do everything they can to modify and reduce their risk of a cancer diagnosis or, if they find themselves in the situation of a cancer diagnosis, picking it up at that really early stage where we can do some really positive things for that and hopefully prevent that from becoming a life limiting factor for them.”
Lauren said this event is focussed on the women in our community, but they hope to hold an event for men in the future.
“Women or men can be a bit embarrassed about the topics we might discuss so we wanted to just isolate it to a gender so that we can get the most out of the event,” she said.
“It is going to allow a more open and perhaps robust discussion about things people might be embarrassed about… a safe space to have those discussions and ask those questions that perhaps they want to ask of our experts.
“And each of the speakers will have a little set up so that if people don’t want to ask a question in front of the whole audience, they can go have a side chat with someone and get more information.”
The Women’s Cancer Risk Management Expo will be held Friday 20 September in the Coral Sea Room and the Ex-Services Club, 9am to 1pm. RSVP required by 11 September. Find the event on Facebook.
“It is and event for any women in our community,” said Lauren. “Cancer can strike at any age, we have ladies on our books in their 20s right through to their 90s, so it is about absolutely anybody who want more information about cancer prevention and just general healthy lifestyle.”