Bairnsdale’s Scott Morris and Sale’s Toni MacKay joined Australians impacted by bowel cancer at Parliament House this week for Bowel Cancer Australia’s Call on Canberra, the nation’s leading bowel cancer advocacy event.
Bowel cancer is the fourth most common type of newly diagnosed cancer and the second deadliest cancer in Australia. It is also the deadliest cancer for Australians aged 25 to 54.
Over the past three decades, bowel cancer incidence among adolescents and young adults has increased by 266 per cent, with rates much higher for Australians born in the 1990s than for those born in the 1950s.
While in Canberra, Mr Morris and Ms MacKay met with Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester to share their experiences and discuss the need for greater awareness, earlier detection, faster diagnosis and stronger support for research.
Ms MacKay was diagnosed with Stage 4 bowel cancer in April 2023 at the age of 46.
“I had presented to my GP many times over a period of more than 18 months with symptoms which were minimised as stress and eventually dismissed as IBS without any diagnostic testing, because of my age,” Ms MacKay said.
“By the time I was diagnosed, the cancer had spread to my lymph nodes and liver.
“I have the BRAF V600E mutation of colorectal cancer, which carries a typically poor prognosis.”
Mr Morris was diagnosed with stage four early-onset bowel cancer in 2024 at just 35 years of age.
Mr Chester first met Mr Morris at last year’s Call on Canberra event and said it was encouraging to see him continuing to use his voice to help raise awareness.
“Scott and Toni have shown enormous courage in sharing their lived experience and advocating for change,” Mr Chester said.
“Their stories are a powerful reminder that bowel cancer can impact people at any age, and we need to keep raising awareness about the signs, symptoms and importance of early detection.
“Across Australia, we are seeing an increase in the number of younger people being diagnosed with bowel cancer, and it is a deeply concerning trend.
“Too many families in Gippsland and across the country are facing the devastating impacts of this disease.”
Mr Chester said a national and collaborative response was needed to address the rise in early-onset bowel cancer.
“Tackling bowel cancer requires individuals, community groups, health professionals, researchers and governments at every level to work together,” Mr Chester said.
“Every Gippslander deserves the chance to live a healthy and fulfilling life, and that means doing everything we can to improve awareness, support earlier diagnosis and help save lives.”
