Tag Archives: oceania

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Mum's old tissue sample helped Narelle find out her cancer risk

When Narelle Sullivan's mother, Margaret, was being treated for ovarian cancer she was always keen to take part in the latest research.

"Anytime there was a study she'd sign the paperwork to send her tissue samples off," Ms Sullivan, from Sydney, recalls.

Little did she know that one of those tissue samples would unexpectedly help her daughter more than a decade later.

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Narelle Sullivan was able to find out her risk of developing that cancer that led to her mother's death, thanks a recent study.

After being diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2004, Margaret went through treatment and was given the all clear, only for it to return in early 2010. She died later that year at the age of 68.

At the time, it was not yet known that some ovarian cancer patients carry a genetic mutation which increases their risk of developing the disease.

"Even when mum got sicker, the fact that it could be genetic had never actually crossed my mind. I just thought it was one of those things," Ms Sullivan said.

Scientists have since linked mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes to both breast cancer and ovarian cancer.

Most women with ovarian cancer are now routinely offered subsidised testing for variants of these genes.

But, until recently, the family members of women who died before they had the chance to get genetic testing have been left in the dark about their possible risk of also developing ovarian cancer. 

A study from Victoria's Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, published last week, has changed all that.

Researchers painstakingly tracked down hundreds of samples from deceased ovarian cancer patients to test if they carried a genetic mutation, the oldest of which dated back to the 1980s.

"Of the 787 patients we tested in this study, 11 percent had an inheritable genetic mutation that increases a person's risk of developing cancer," Dr Rachel Delahunty, lead author of the study, said.

"With ovarian cancer, the greatest defined risk is related to heritability."

Mutations of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are associated with an increased risk of between 20-40 percent of developing ovarian cancer.

Researchers conducted genetic testing on samples from women who died of ovarian cancer in a study led by Victoria's Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.

Recent studies have shown screening is not an effective way to detect ovarian cancer.

However, women with an increased genetic risk can choose to have preventative surgery which is up to 90 percent effective in preventing cancer, Dr Delahunty said.

One of the samples analysed in the study came from Ms Sullivan's mum Margaret who, it turned out, did have a genetic mutation associated with the cancer.

This meant Ms Sullivan had a 50 per cent chance of also having the mutation.

Ms Sullivan chose to get genetic testing done herself in October 2020 and nervously awaited the results.

In the end, the news was good, she did not have the same mutation as her mother. 

"It was a huge relief to hear the news that I am just like every other woman in the population with a normal risk profile," Ms Sullivan said.

"It's just amazing to think how much medical research has advanced, to be at the point now where we can be forewarned and then take action.

"I think, in some ways, this was a lovely gift from mum, she's still looking after me."

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Big issue in charge towards electric vehicle future

Electric cars, or EVs, are without a doubt the way of the future.

But after driving a brand-new EV for the past week, I'm not so sure Australia is ready. At least not yet.

You can see why electric vehicles are increasingly popular. 

The Kia EV6

Fuel prices are at record highs, hitting family budgets and businesses hard.

The far more affordable option of recharging rather than paying through the nose at the petrol pump has enormous appeal.

The environmental benefits are clear.

EVs have zero exhaust emissions, which is essential to combat climate change.

They do create some greenhouse gas emissions when they're charged from the electricity grid, but a lot of EV owners have solar panels, so the environmental impact is minimised when they're powered by the sun.

EVs cost more to buy, but that higher initial outlay is offset by the fact they're cheaper to run and service.

Many governments also offer subsidies to increase the uptake of electric cars. T

he greater the demand, the cheaper they'll become, and with more second hand EV's on the market, they'll become more affordable still.

'EV drivers are fanatical about their cars. They will tell you how much they love them, how much money they save, and how silly the rest of us are for not jumping onboard the EV bandwagon'

So it was with great interest that I took the opportunity to put Kia's all-new EV6 to the test.

I'd never had the chance to drive an EV, even though they're a major discussion point on my 2GB Afternoons radio show and our regular Monday Motoring segment with Drive.com.au. 

And dealers cannot keep up with demand.

Even before the first new generation KIA had hit the showroom, they'd already sold out for two years.

The company has had to put an urgent call to the factory to get more vehicles down under fast, and you can see why.

The interior of the EV6

It's an incredible ride. Smooth, quiet, comfortable – and it turned a lot of heads. I was stopped in the street by drivers wanting to find out more.

But I'm not sure I'll be on the list of eager buyers just yet.

The KIA was brilliant driving around Sydney.

My commute to work is minimal, so if I didn't notch up any extra kms, I'd have no need to recharge in the week I was driving the EV6.

If I did, there were plenty of fast charging stations at nearby shopping centres. 

But the ease of recharging was a different story when I left Sydney to drive to Newcastle. 

The KIA has an almost 500-kilometre range before needing to recharge, so the city driving on top of the 320-kilometre round trip meant I had to have a top up as part of the journey. 

The hotel I was staying in had no fast recharging stations.

If I plugged the car into a standard power point it would take close to two days to reach full capacity, so I tracked down the nearest NRMA fast-charging station at Wallsend in Newcastle and factored in a stop on my way. 

Two charging stations were listed, with a charge time of around 30 minutes to get the top-up I needed. I could go and get a coffee and have a toilet break while I waited. 

So far so good.

When I arrived however, only one charging station was working, which I've since learnt is a common occurrence.

Vandalism is a problem, and super charging stations are often out of action, which can leave you stranded if there are no others nearby in areas outside the CBD. 

Charging up the EV6

The one working charger was already being used by a Tesla driver, so I pulled in beside him and had a chat while he was charging away.

Another EV pulled in beside me to also wait.

No one was put out, in fact quite the opposite. It was like I'd dipped my toes into a cult. 

EV drivers are fanatical about their cars.

They will tell you how much they love them, how much money they save, and how silly the rest of us are for not jumping onboard the EV bandwagon. 

And there was plenty of time to hear the arguments, because the 30-minute top up I'd expected and factored into my journey turned into more than an hour while I waited for the one working station to be free.

When it was eventually my turn, I ended up pulling the plug at around 80 per cent charge because I had run out of time and had to get on my way.

The EVs themselves are brilliant, and make a lot of sense, but the charging station infrastructure in Australia needs to catch up with the growing demand for the cars themselves. 

Fully-functioning charging stations need to be dotted up and down highways like existing petrol stations. 

New buildings and apartments must include super charging stations, and more need to be retrofitted into existing structures. 

Until that day comes, the joy of hitting the open road in an EV will be overcome by the anxious feeling of watching the kilometres click over and potentially running out of juice with no jerry can to tie you over.

EVs are the way of the future. No doubt. But without the essential charging infrastructure, they'll be confined to the cities and big centres.

And in a big country like Australia, we need to do better than that.

The author was loaned a KIA EV6 for the purpose of this review.

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Man charged with murder after body of elderly Gold Coast woman found

Queensland police have charged a 50-year-old man with the murder of a 74-year-old woman after her body was found at a home in the Gold Coast suburb of Molendinar.

Police were called to a house on Macquarie Avenue around 8.40pm yesterday where they discovered the body.

Police have said the man and the woman were known to each other.

Police have charged a 50-year-old man following the suspicious death of a 74-year-old woman at a Molendinar home last night. A police investigation is under way after the sudden death of 74-year-old woman in a Molendinar home last night.

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Before the man had been charged, Acting Chief Superintendent Rhys Wildman said that police were not treating the death as a domestic violence incident.

"I just want to highlight that this matter, at this stage, is not DV-related," Superintendent Wildman said earlier on Monday.

It is understood the woman was a landlord of the property where three men were living.

The man is due to face Southport Magistrates Court this afternoon.

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A mobile forensic facility was set up after police discovered the body of the woman.Dozens of police scoured the area trying to piece together exactly what happened.Queensland Police said the man and the woman were known to each other.

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9News reporter Chloe Robinson said family of the dead woman turned up at the property today, where they spoke with police officers and neighbours.

"This is a tragic incident in which a 74-year-old woman has lost her life," Superintendent Wildman said.

The investigation is continuing.