Australian Medical Association

It’s the season to be jolly, but the AMA is reminding people that it is also the season to be sun smart to reduce the risk of skin cancer.

AMA President, Dr Andrew Pesce, said many people look forward to spending time at the beach or taking part in other outdoor activities over the holiday period, following their family gatherings at Christmas.

“It’s easy to get carried away with the festivities at this time of year, but it’s important that Australians remember to slip, slop, slap, seek shade and slide on sunglasses to protect themselves from harmful UV exposure,” Dr Pesce said.

MJA Media Release - Bowel cancer screening program results in earlier detection

The introduction of the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP) has resulted in earlier detection of cases of colorectal cancer, which is expected to increase survival rates, according to a study published in the Medical Journal of Australia.

The NBCSP was launched in May 2006 and currently offers faecal occult blood testing to all Australians aged 50, 55 or 65 years of age.

Dr Sumitra Ananda, Medical Oncology Fellow at Royal Melbourne Hospital, and her co-authors reviewed data on colorectal cancer cases diagnosed between May 2006 and June 2008 from a prospective database used at 19 Australian hospitals.

Youth Health: Smoking

AMA Position Statement: Cervical Cancer Screening - 1999