Bonny Hills resident and Salt Community Church pastor David McDonald was among the faces of a campaign appealing for action on lung cancer.
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Lung Foundation Australia, together with 12 Australians living under the cloud of lung cancer including Mr McDonald, descended on Canberra's Parliament House yesterday, August 1.
They are seeking the new parliament to recognise the gaps in treatment, care and empathy which surround lung cancer and commit to policy interventions.
Mr McDonald said he wanted to encourage the MPs and senators to ensure the same quality of care, resources and funding to lung cancer as other cancers.
"Many people don't realise lung cancer has the highest mortality rate of all the cancers in Australia and proportionally far less funding," he said.
"We are in a time where there are incredible developments in research and treatment strategies and I want the best of resources to be available to those who are most vulnerable."
Mr McDonald said sadly, lung cancer was often only caught at a late stage.
"Many people struggle with the stigma of having lung cancer," he added.
Mr McDonald said it was important for the decision makers to meet people behind their policies and to understand something of the lives of people affected by their decisions.
The campaign includes a call for a commitment to fund 25 lung cancer specialist nurses to work within multi-disciplinary teams.
"It's incredibly chaotic, scary and confusing when diagnosed with any cancer and having lung care nurses to help patients navigate the road ahead would be so helpful," Mr McDonald said.
The Bonny Hills resident was given 10 months to live when diagnosed in 2011.
Four years of non-stop chemotherapy followed, and about half-way through the treatment, there was no evidence of the disease.
"Anyone who has had stage four cancer lives under the cloud of knowing it can come back," Mr McDonald said.
Thursday was World Lung Cancer Day.
A Parliament House installation will be unveiled featuring 12 powerful video projections to encapsulate the diverse but connected experiences of the lung cancer community.
Lung Foundation Australia chief executive officer Mark Brooke said on World Lung Cancer Day, they called on all parliamentarians to commit to truly tackling the disparity which continued to disproportionately impact people living with lung cancer.
"We know that a strong, continued and concerted effort is necessary if we are to truly make inroads in lung cancer, a disease which has historically been massively underfunded," he said.
"Chiefly, we're asking for a commitment to increase lung cancer specialist nurses - an additional 25 are needed right away - owing to the systemically few currently in operation in this country."
Mr Brooke said while they remained grateful of the leadership Health Minister Greg Hunt had already shown, and they knew would continue to show, intervention in the 2020-2021 budget was needed now more than ever.
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