Cancer awareness sessions

CFA has initiated a partnership with The Cancer Council Victoria that will see the rolling out of a cancer awareness program at CFA locations across the state including regional headquarters and fire stations.

The sessions will be open to staff and volunteers, with family members also very welcome to attend where capacity allows.

Beginning in early February, the 50-minute presentations will incorporate comprehensive information about four cancers: bowel, cervical, breast and prostate.

The sessions will cover important information about early detection and symptoms and the relevance of family history, as well as information about the availability of appropriate cancer screening programs in Victoria.

“For many types of cancer, risk increases with age, so cancer diagnoses are more common in those over 50,” CFA’s Health and Wellbeing Officer Peter Langridge says. “There is a lot of media attention given to lung and skin cancer, so we wanted to give out information about the other cancers that present significant risks.

“The support of key managers will ensure the maximum number of staff and volunteers will be available to attend. We are currently working with the Associations to determine the most effective way to get similar messages out to the broader volunteer community.”

Everyone who attends the sessions will take away general information about health and wellbeing, as well as cancer awareness leaflets to share with their family and friends. This excellent initiative is a first for The Cancer Council Victoria and CFA is grateful for its support and generosity in providing this message to the CFA community.

Please book in with your Healthy for Life location contact to ensure a place for the session in your area.

The Cancer Council helpline is open Mon-Fri, 8.30am to 8pm, and can be accessed by calling 13 11 20.

For further information, visit:

http://esvhealthwatch.vic.gov.au/
http://www.cancervic.org.au/