Be cancer-symptom savvy

The Cancer Council WA is urging people over the age of 40 in regional WA to make their health a priority this decade by knowing the two different ways to detect cancer in the nick of time.

Cancer Council WA Wheatbelt regional education officer Melissa Pickering said one way was to be symptom aware and visit your local medical clinic if symptoms existed.

The other way to detect cancer early was to participate in population screening.

“The Find Cancer Early program aims to increase awareness of the symptoms of the five most common cancers — prostate, breast, skin, bowel and lung cancer — which make up about 60 per cent of cancer diagnoses in WA,” Ms Pickering said.

Ms Pickering said a 2019 survey showed one in nine regional residents surveyed did not have their symptoms investigated because of an assumption that participation in population screening was sufficient.

People can be symptom savvy by printing off the cancer checklist available at www.findcancerearly.com.