You're listening to a mom with mea podcast.

The idea of going to your doctrine having to show your butt, it's intimidating.

I just want to reassure everyone.

I see about five butts a day and I have no recollection.

As soon as you walk out the room, you've forgotten about my butt.

I'm sorry.

You know your buddy's forgotten.

It is not that memorable.

Hello there, welcome to Well Australian women.

This is your full body health check.

I'm Claire Murphy and i'm doctor Marion.

And today we are answering a bunch of your questions about some of the cancers that we have been talking about in recent weeks.

I will let you know that I back in the day, had an abnormal perhaps mere which they found pre cancerous cervical cancer cells.

I had a biopsy done first, and then I went and had laser surgery to have the surface of my cervix lasered to remove those pre cancerous And then when I went back from my follow up, my gynecologist back then, who looked quite a bit like Father Christmas, he did my exam and he goes, Darling, your cervix looks fabulous.

You should show everyone at a party.

Can you imagine?

I'll give you a speculum.

He was a great goblement.

I tell people about it all the time.

But I feel like pretty much all of us have had a friend or a family member or someone in our orbit who's been impacted by breast cancer, ovarian bowel or cervical endomitrial we call it, and it can be a really rough journey.

So for those of us who get left behind by those who've been through that too, that can also be really tough.

So if you are dealing with something like that right now, our hearts go out to you, and we hope you have all the support that you need around you.

And we don't just mean medical teams.

We mean mental health support and friends and family too, who truly hopefully have you back as well.

But something I wanted to know today is sometimes a diagnosis can have ripple effects across the world.

Remember when Kylie Minogue was diagnosed with breast cancer, the impact of that was incredible, with women going to get things checked out that they might not have done so otherwise.

Now we're seeing Olivia Munn, the actress who's gone through breast cancer and her mom has been diagnosed with it too, and she's been talking quite a bit about her journey.

They have real impacts on global populations of women, which is why it's so super important that we talk about them, because if we do all of this behind closed doors, all it does is make us a little bit more wary about getting ourselves checked.

So it's really important that you do talk about these things.

And Olivia mun the test that she's been talking quite a bit about online.

I talked to doctor Yo about as well, and so if you want to go back and have a listen to that in our episode on breast cancer.

And I want to say too, there are sometimes when celebrities get diagnosed with a cancer that is not as common as the ones we've just talked about and can sometimes be in places that people do feel really shameful about, like when Farah Face came out and said that she was dealing with anal cancer that is life changing for people who experience that or who might experience that down the track, because they're like, well, if she can talk about it, I can talk about it.

So we here want to talk about all of these things so that you don't feel like it is a taboo.

Thing.

These conversations are important.

Yeah, So, Mariam, have you had a personal experience with cancer.

I'm grateful to say I haven't so for now anyway.

But professionally, I've walked alongside many women through every step of their journey, whether they face breastavarian and demetrial about cancer, and those experiences have taught me just how complex these diseases can be and how critical it is to act early and lean into support.

And Yes, when these public figures choose to be open about their cancer struggles, it can truly change the game.

You know.

When Angelina Jolly shared she carried the brack of one gene mutation and chose preventive surgery, referrals for genetic testing tripled in Australia's right, So it's a powerful ripple effect.

Having these conversations is so important, yep.

So if you are going through this right now and you feel like you're doing it behind closed doors, reach out to people, have conversations.

It's super important to have a network of humans around you because there is a lot of evidence that shows that having positive people around you helps you get through treatments easier.

It helps you face these things when you're not doing it by yourself, so you're not alone.

We do have quite a few questions to get through today, but give us a.

Second, we'll be back and we'll dive right in.

Let's do it.

So we are kicking off the questions today about uterine, cervical and ovarian cancers.

So Mariam, you are up first today.

The first question from our will community is this one.

I tested positive for.

HPV when I was twenty five, and I'm really worried about developing cervical cancer.

My GP told me that I would have to have a follow up in twelve months to see if the HPV has cleared.

Should I be worried?

And what happens if this has not cleared?

Will I develop cancer?

I hear you, and getting that positive HPV result at twenty five can feel overwhelming, but it's important to remember you're not alone and there's a clear path forward.

It's very common and it's completely normal for your GP to recommend that follow up at twelve months.

It's standard practice to monitor how your body responds to the infection.

Remembering you've tested positive for the virus doesn't mean you have can doesn't mean you have cancer.

So most HPV infections, especially the low risk types, which is what you have if you've been asked to repeat in twelve months, are cleared by the immune system within one to two years without causing any issues, and if it does persist beyond that time, your GP may refer you for further testing, such as a colposcopy to examine your cervix for any abnormal soul changes.

However, even if the infection doesn't clear doesn't automatically mean that you're going to develop cervical cancer.

We know that the from HPV infection to cervical cancer typically occurs over many years, and that's if your body hasn't cleared in the first place.

So it's also worth noting that certain factors can influence the risk of persistent HPV infections, including smoking and a weakened immune system.

So while it's natural to feel concerned, try to focus on the steps you're taking now, regular screenings, making sure that you're following up at the appropriate scheduled time, and staying on top of your health.

And remember you're not alone in this journey.

If you're feeling really stressed or worried about the result booking with your GP, have that chat for reassurance.

Excellent.

All right, next question, I'm in a same sex partnership and have never had sex with a man.

There is in the LGBTQIA plus community a name for people.

It's like gold standard lesbian or something along those lines.

You've never had sex with a man.

I'm sure that might be wrong, but I'll double check, she writes.

I've always thought because of this, I wasn't at risk of getting HPV?

Is that right?

Should I still be getting tested?

Okay?

Great question.

Let's unpack this.

First off, it's a misconception that HPV only affects those who have sex with men.

HPV can be transmitted through any genital skin to skin contact, regardless of gender or sexual orientation.

So this means that women who have sex with women are still at risk of contracting HPV and consequently developing cervical cancer.

In fact, studies have shown that lesbian, bisexual, and queer women are just as likely as heterosexual females to develop cervical cancer.

However, they are often less likely to undergo cervical cancer screenings, which can lead to a later stage diagnosis, which is why self collection for these populations is a great option.

If they choose to do that.

The National Cervical Screening Program here in Australia recommends that all individuals with a cervix age twenty five to seventy four have regular cervical screenings every five years.

Just so you know, I just googled what the name for a lesbian who's never slept with the man?

It is gold Star.

It issing.

Sorry if I misled you with gold Standard.

So from gold star lesbian to the other end of the spectrum.

This person has written in I've had sex with a few different men.

I know that HPV is sexually transmitted and then it can lead to cervical cancer.

But I did get the vaccine when I was at school.

Do I still need.

To be worried about HPV if I've had the vaccine.

Let's break this down.

So, first off, it's great that you've received the HPV vaccine during school.

It's an important proactive step in protecting yourself against certain strands that we see that can lead to ninety percent or cervical cancers.

But it's important to understand it doesn't cover all those strains that can cost quite a few there's quite a few, So even if you've been vaccinated, it's still crucial to participate in regular cervical screening.

All individuals with a cervix need to be screened from twenty five to seventy four at five year intervals, assuming they have negative test results.

And the reason for this is that the vaccine doesn't eliminate the risk entirely are other high risk HPV types that can still cause cervical abnormalities.

So regular screening will help detect any changes early, allowing for that appropriate timely intervention and reducing the risk of cervical cancer.

Okay, and when I said male partners, it actually doesn't matter, right, It doesn't matter to be wherever your partner is.

Yep.

So the next few questions, and we have had so many great ones from you guys through the waiting room and through DMS and through our email, so thank you so much for sending them in.

But these next ones are going to be answered by Professor Claire Scott.

She's a medical oncologist.

I would have a massive intellectual crush on her.

Oh my god, she's right.

We asked her about whether having other issues might increase our risk of cancer.

So Claire, our first question few from our well community is this one.

This person says, I have endometriosis and PCOS, and I'm really worried those increase my cancer risk?

Am I more likely to get something like endometrial or ovarian camp So.

Having both polycystic ovaryan syndrome and endometriosis can raise your risks of ovarian and indemetrial cancer by a slight amount, But the majority of women with those syndromes will not get either of those cancer types.

So if we just take them one by one, having polycystic ovaries makes you exposed to different types of hormones, so more estrogen than you would otherwise be, and that increases the risk of endometrial cancer, not ovarian cancer.

So the risk clear is about two to three times higher.

Now, sometimes women with peat costs are overweight and have obesity, and there is evidence that just reducing weight by even five to ten percent could improve the symptoms of PEAT costs and potentially reduce the risk of cancer.

With endometriosis, it sounds like it should be an increased risk of uterine or endemetrial cancer, but in fact there is a slight increase ovarian cancer risk, and again that's probably just one point five to two times higher than the general population, and those risks are already low, so doubling the risks means that they're still fairly low.

And the issue there is that it's the types of cancers that are not the sort of ovarian cancer that we talk about or that you often hear about.

So its name is high grade serius ovarian cancer, and that risk is not increased by endometriosis.

It's two other types, clear cell ovarian cancer and endometrioid ovarian cancer.

So the majority of clear cell and edmetrioid ovarian cancers are not the aggressive type.

It's very much more rare for either of those two to act in an aggressive fashion, and in fact, for peacos as well, those endometrial cancers that occur, they are probably also not the aggressive type.

So overall, I'd really say stay fit, to stay well, exercise, live around, try and control your weight, and those cancer risks are not something that you should be spending a lot of time worrying about.

All right.

Our next question is this one.

I heard about a study that linked hair straightening treatments that have for maldehyde in them to uterine cancer.

What do we know about exposure to chemicals and things like cancer in our uterus.

You're right, many hair straightening products do contain formaldehyde or chemicals that release formaldehyde, and formaldehyde is classified as human carcinogen.

Of course, these chemicals are at low level, but it is technically possible that you could get some absorption through the scalp, and particularly if there's scalp irritation for some reason, like say you had some inflammatory disease of the scalp or got a burn from many of the hair care products.

Certainly, the risk is likely to be higher if there's frequent use, so that would be more than four times a year, and some ethnicities have perhaps an increased risk if they use the products much more frequently than that, so potentially black women in the US.

So I think more researchers obviously needed, but limiting your exposure to those products might be a good idea, and particularly if you have any other risk factors for cancer.

Okay, last question for you, Professor Scott is this one.

I'm postmenopausal and haven't had a period for two years, but recently I got a little bit of spotting.

Should I be worried about it being cancer?

So any bleeding that is not normal for you is a concern and should be followed up with your GP.

So sometimes people know how often they have their periods and then they have a bleed when they're not meant to have one.

If that has occurred a couple of times, you should see your doctor about that.

If you're after the menopause and you've had some time where you haven't had a period at all, for example, in that early stage when you aren't quite sure if you've finished or not, it's always reasonable to be checked out as well, whilst knowing that most of the time, if you're really early in that time period, it's probably just the organs getting to the end of what has been a lifelong habit.

If you are well into the menopause, then you should absolutely be checked out straight away.

So the reason for this is ninety percent of individual cancer cases present with bleeding, and that means that that's a useful sign and symptom to follow up to have early diagnosis hopefully, So you definitely don't want to ignore vaginal bleeding, but do expect when you're going in that you're overwhelmingly likely to hear good news.

But still it should always be brought to medical attention.

Now back to you, doctor Mariam.

What's the difference between a perhaps mire and a cervical screening Someone also mentioned that I could do the swob at home.

These test the same thing, which is better at detecting HBV?

And how often do I need to get them done?

Lots of questions there.

There is quite a few questions in that one.

Leston, Yes, let's get to it, okay.

Two twenty seventeen, we bid farewell to the two yearly perhapsmes and if you.

Have not had a perhapsmere, you are lucking.

And we warmly welcome the five yearly cervical screening tests, commonly called the HPV test.

So what's the difference.

So the traditional perhaps me looked for abnormal cervical cells, so damage has already occurred.

The cervical screening test is smarter.

It is looking for the high risk HPV virus that leads to almost all cervical cancers, catching the problem before any cell changes occur.

And that early detection is what's making all the difference.

You're detecting the root cause and not just the aftermath.

Because the HPV test is more sensitive and reliable, you only need to do it every five years, not every two, which is formally welcomed.

And now onto the question, I hear a lot can I do the SWOB at home?

So if you are aged twenty five to seventy four and due for screening or overdu you can choose to do it yourself or have a health provider collect it for you.

Self collection must be arranged through a GP or a health care provided.

Both options are essentially checking for that HPV virus either from your vagina or from the cervix.

And the amazing part is evidence shows that the self collected samples are just as good as picking up HPV as a clinician collector.

So don't be worried because, like I know some of my friends be like, what if I don't do it right, or what if I.

Don't get up high enough?

And it's really good to go in.

I usually get my patients to do it on site because I can explain to them how to collect it and if they've got any bathroom, yeah, or I can close the curtain and say if you want me to stay on the other side and just talk you through it, well, I just offer all those options to them and whatever makes them comfortable.

Negative result excellent five years to your next screening because the test is unreliable.

Wonderful, great questions, folks, Thank you very much for saying the mim but hang type because we have a stack moore to get through, including why the age your mom was when she got breast cancer might matter, and whether or not to get the genetic testing for the brack of one and two jeez.

If you want to get a question answered by one of our experts or the fabulous doctor Marriam, here here's how you can do that.

You can hit up our dms on Instagram, send me a message.

I will chat to you personally, or you can go to the waiting room.

If you want to be anonymous, there's a link to that in our show notes.

It's an online form.

Or you can go old school and send us an email.

Well at mamamea dot com dot Are you okay, Mariam, you're up?

Let's do it.

Why does the age your female relatives get breast cancer matter?

My doctor said, because my mum got it when she was older, I didn't have to worry as much.

What's the difference to if she'd had that younger.

So yes, the age at which your female relatives like your mom were diagnosed with breast cancer.

It does matter if it's a first degree relative.

So that's your mom or your sister develop breast cancer at a young age, that will significantly increase your own lifetime risk more than if she was diagnosed later in life.

And that's generally because earlier on set breast cancer is more likely to be tied to inherited causes like those genetic causes.

Also important is having multiple first degree relatives with breast or varying cancer further increases your risk as well.

Most women diagnosed with breast cancer actually don't have close family history.

Only around five to ten percent of cases are actually linked to that inherited gene mutation.

So if you're hearing you don't have to worry about it too much because your mum was older.

There is some truth to that, but it doesn't mean that that's zero risk.

It's more about understanding how high or not your risk might be when we're talking breast cancer risk.

I just wanted to use this opportunity to talk about I Prevent.

It's a tool that I use with a lot of my patients.

It's free, it's Australian made It's an online tool, takes about thirty minutes, and it gives you a personalized, ten year, year, and lifetime breast cancer risk estimate.

It aligns with the Cancer Straling guidelines and has been shown to help women and gps make informed choices without ramping up any anxiety.

At the end of the questionnaire, you'll get a score, and if you have any concerns with that score, you just take that print out back to your GP and have a conversation.

Next question is also for you, doctor Mary.

This person has written in, I just had a biopsy done on a lump in my boob.

I'm so scared, mostly at this stage about getting chemotherapy.

Can you tell me what I might be in for?

Look, I hear you going through a biopsy and waiting for results.

It's anxiety provoking.

It can sider up a lot of emotions.

Are known is probably unknown, right and then, especially when the word chemotherapy starts to come up.

But first, I's take one step at a time.

Girl.

We don't know if it's cancer yet, big breaths.

It also might be a good idea to talk to a support person or your GP, let them know how you're feeling.

So you're not alone in this.

But if chemotherapy is part of your treatment plan, it's usually given in cycles periods of treatment followed by rest.

This allows your body time to recover.

Goal is to target and destroy cancer cells because chemotherapy affects all these rapidly dividing cancer cells, but it can also impact healthy cells and that's what leads to the side effects that we commonly see, and that's the fatigue, the nausea, of the hair loss, and changes in appetite.

But it's really important that we explain that the side effects vary from person to person, not everyone experiences all of them.

And it's also noting that we've had so many advancements in breast cancer treatment and we have so many medications that also treat a lot of the side effects that we see with chemotherapy.

Remember you're not alone in this.

Your health care team is there to support you every step of the way.

Waiting for those biopsy results can be very triggering for a lot of people.

Please reach out, speak to someone and make sure you've got adequate support around you.

And if it's interrupting your sleep, because that's often when our thoughts scared a little bit haywork, go back and have a listened to our mind's meditation.

There's a little meditation at the end which actually helps me go.

To sleep at night.

It's amazing, all right.

These next few questions of being answered by doctor Belinda Yoh.

She's a medical on cologist who also works at the Olivia Newton John Cancer Research Institute in Melbourne.

We asked her about whether to get tested for the Braca gene mutation or not.

The first question from our well community is this one.

My mother had breast cancer at forty four and is the only person in our family to have had it.

She is still with us after successful surgery and treatment for a ductal carcinoma.

Back in the two thousand and when she was being treated, my sister and I opted not to get the Braka gene test.

There wasn't a strong family history, just mum, and the cost was a bit outrageous.

She says.

Now I'm forty eight, I'm thinking about it, and I'm very pragmatic and would just have a mistectomy if it came back positive.

But I worry about getting the test.

It might affect my daughter's ability to get in insurance coverage.

Down the track if the government changes whether genetic testing can be taken into consideration.

In your opinion, should she, with her circumstances get the bracket test.

Well, there's an easy answer to that, and there's a much harder one.

And the easy approach to that is, given your mum is alive and sounds like well, which is good.

My first response to this is we test the patient who has had the breast cancer if you can.

We can't always, but we always start with the person who has had the breast cancer and test whether or not in fact they harbor the gene.

And you're absolutely right.

The gene testing was previously very expensive and it's come down and down, and I'm really pleased to say actually that at least for patients who are newly diagnosed, we can do funded testing, so there's not an out of pocket costs for patients who have had a breast cancer much much more widely.

So, yes, you're absolutely right.

If your mum was diagnosed many years ago, without a family history, she wouldn't have been off the testing, but she potentially would be now.

So I guess the first thing is whether or not is open to being tested, And I say that only because if we test the person with the cancer and there isn't the gene there, the likelihood of the gene being in family members who haven't had a breast cancer is no more than the population.

So certainly you can go out and still sell fun predictive gene testing.

So in patients who have not had cancer, I think if you're doing that, then you really want to go and have a chat with the Genetics Council to understand what that information means.

Everyone thinks about what a positive test would mean, and it sounds like you've thought about what that would mean for you, but there's lots of implications of having a negative test and having that reassurance.

I think, just in terms of your comment about the insurance, you're absolutely right.

So both in Australian muser and I think they're still really looking at the implications for genetic testing.

My personal opinion is information is power, and for the patients that I see with breast cancer, I think having a gene test, positive or negative, is information that we can act on.

So I think it's a really valuable thing to do, but it's got to be right for every patient, and some patients don't want to have.

That information amazing?

All right.

Our second question and from our listeners, is this one she said, is any pain in my breast something that I should have checked out?

And could it be cancer?

I sometimes get random hangs in my boobs and they do get very sore when I get my period, but I haven't felt any lumps.

Yes, so we all get random pains in our breasts.

I think that's a lifelong experience, isn't it?

What a joy?

And our bodies change, of course across the cycle, and even as we go through peri menopause, which can go for years, and then of course even in post ptopause, it changes if we start new medications, it changes if we change our body habitus, if we put on weight, if we exercise more.

So there are so many things that can cause breast pain.

And I'm a medical and collegist, so usually the breast pain that I see has been related to a cancer.

But that's because ninety five of the breast pain that isn't breast cancer related I never see.

So I think it's about being sensible.

If you're worried about something, if you can't explain it, and I often say that to people, if you've got something that you just can't explain.

It's not that you had a trauma to the breast or it's not cyclical and it comes on day fifteen of your cycle every time, then that's worth going into speaking to a medical professional and having it checked out.

And you won't need to meet medical and colleges, but you know, go to for example, your general practitioner.

Is we make a decision based on all right, well what do we think it is and if there is any specific concerns and it's deciding, all right, what's the next steps?

Is there enough information here where we should go and perform some imaging?

Is this worth monitoring?

So it is very difficult, but a lot of the things that happen in our breast are not breast cancer.

In fact, I would argue probably most of them month breast cancer, which is reassuring.

But if you're worried about it, then absolutely go and talk to someone.

Thank you, doctor yo Okay.

I was skipping from one expert to the next right now because the next two questions are for colo rectal surgeon, doctor Penelope de Lacavalerie.

She is a spokesperson too for Bow Cancer Australia.

We asked her about the accuracy of the at home bow cancer screening tests.

Is it one of that you don't do it when you can see blood because if you see blot, of course it's going to be positive.

And again you don't need the test if you see a lot, right, It's important to read instructions.

You have to do three tests.

Try to do it from three different vowel openings rather than the same one, because that increases the chances of you having different samples.

Send it off as soon as you put it in basically that day in the afternoon or the next day in the morning.

Don't leave it under the zone in the window sill in your car, that type of thing.

It's very important that if you have any symptoms, you don't even bother doing the test.

You just need a colonoscopy.

So advocate for yourself.

You know your body best.

Make sure that your GP specialist is your regular specialists that you have already a relationship with, so that you can actually confide your symptoms and feel comfortable about talking to them.

If you haven't got any symptoms and you do the test and it's negative, the likelihood of this missing a tumor is low.

A next quession from the world community, What isn't really obvious things I can avoid to lower my risk of getting bowl cancer If I don't have family history, all I know is to eat less red meat.

That's a fantastic question, and there's a lovely, lovely link on Balkansa Australia about modifiable risks where you have a list of things that you can do and apart from the red meat, increasing your fiber to at least thirty grams per day or more, having a wholesome, whole foods non process diet as more as possible, having some dairy of at least four hundred grams a day, doing exercise thirty minutes a day, limiting your alcohol not smoking.

The three things that are most important is knowing your family history, the creases the chances of having bowl cancer, because then you will get that needed cholnoscopy, doing your power cancer screening test from the age of forty five or you can request it from the age of forty or whenever you are worried about family history.

And thirdly, to advocate for yourself.

Age is just a number, Okay, it's not a symptom, and we don't treat h we treat the symptom and we diagnose from that.

So advocate for yourself and just request it.

And if you feel that you get dismissed, which sometimes can happen unfortunately, you go and get a second opinion.

There's plenty of deep specialists and you can even ask for a referra and say thank you so much, but I will still like to have a chat with a specialist.

What a legend.

Thank you very much for helping us out today.

But we're going back to you, doctor Mariam.

All right, doctor Marriam.

Your next question from the world community is my friend has bow cancer and is freaking out that she'll end up with a bag if she has to have surgery.

How often do you end up wearing one of those bags outside your body to collect poo?

Just as a side note here, I just watched a video of Caspergel.

She plays rugby for the US team, and she does that with her iliostomy.

Bag attached to her.

So it's not like you have to stay inside for the rest of your life once you get or not right, But what are the chances that you'll end up with one if you.

Do have surgery?

Bower cancer surgery may involve a stoma, and that's a surgically created opening in the abdomen, and that's where waste will exit through this opening into the attached bag.

It's completely natural to feel nervous or even grossed out by the idea of a stoma bag.

But let me walk you through what actually happens.

First up, not everyone who has surgery ends up with a stoma.

When needed, it might be temporary, so that's typically used to give the bow some time to rest.

Say it be reversed.

Yeah, And it's usually reversed and that he's closed and reconnected in three to twelve months or so after the initial surgery, and in about one in ten cases of rectal cancer, it might be a permanent bag.

If her friend does require one, she shouldn't be alarmed.

Having a SOTMA just means that the body's diversing waste through another opening, and a lot of people get really good, skilled team around them to help them manage it.

Confidently, least to work with someone who needs one.

Actually, and it's amazing how she disappeared for a minute or two in comeback, I just had to empty.

Yeah, think you settle into a rhythm and it becomes part of your routine and it's quite discreet under your clothing.

I know it's overwhelming and scary, but just take one day at a time and we'll see how.

It goes amazing.

Okay, another one for you.

This one is I was recently diagnosed with rectal cancer.

I'm super embarrassed to tell anyone.

I'm not sure exactly what question I have for you, but I just wanted you to know that having butt cancer is really not talked about enough, and those of us who have it are feeling like we're in the dark.

Yeah, thanks for sharing that.

It takes courage and you absolutely don't need to feel embarrassed.

But cancer isn't spoken about as often as it should be, and being diagnosed with rectal cancer can leave you feeling isolated in the dark.

It's real and it matters, So let's clear away some of that darkness talking about it.

Yes, I know it's sexy, but we need to break down that stigma and we need to start supporting people that are going through this.

It's real people with real lives, and the truth is early detection makes bour cancer one of the most treatable cancers, and when we normalize these conversations.

It opens the door for people to seek help early.

A lot of people have so many rectal complaints and are just so embarrassed to seek care or see a doctor or speak to anyone about it.

And sometimes it's just itchiness, or it's skin changes or a little bit of bleeding here and there, and just because it's one of those tiboo areas, we're like, oh, I'll just put up with it for a little bit longer.

But it's that time that makes all the difference.

The idea of going to your doctrine having to show your butt, it's intimidating.

I just want to reassure everyone.

I see about five butts a day and I have no recollection.

As soon as you walk out the room, you're fine about my butt.

I'm sorry.

You know your buddy's forgotten.

It is not that memorable.

That is good today.

But for our lovely listeners, support is out there even when you feel like you're on your own.

Bow Cancer Australia offers a free and confidential helpline.

It's staffed by nurses, nutritionists and support workers.

You can connect with them via phone, email or video.

They also run peer to peer groups and There's a podcast called The bottom Line that's hosted by survivor Stephanie.

Listening to stories like yours can be deeply comforting and empowering.

Then there's the Cancer Council's number thirteen eleven twenty.

That's another invaluable resource.

It's free Australian wide helpline where you can speak to trained professionals who listen and link you into local peace support groups and services.

Even chatting to your friendly GP might be a great place to start with just how you're feeling.

You might feel invisible or stuck right now, but you're not alone.

Services exist and no one deserves to face this journey in silence, So open up, speak to someone.

Support is out there and it's really really going to help you.

There's actually that movie with Kate Hudson, I think it's called a Little Bit of Heaven.

She gets diagnosed with rector Cancer's really great, very great.

Yeah, well there you go.

People are having conversations about it.

Well that's all the questions we have time for today.

Thank you so much for reaching out, And as I mentioned before, there's a heabaways you can get your questions into us.

Remember, as I mentioned all this information is general, take it to your own doctors, get yourself a team of people around you who are going to help you with all of these things.

And when it comes to cancer, I don't think you understand how many people will come out of the woodwork to help you out when that time happens.

Next week, we're going to be doing something a little bit different because normally we would follow this up with a real life story of someone, but we thought it was time for a bit of motivation because sometimes talking about cancer can be a little heavy and can sometimes get a little bit dark.

So we are going to lean into positivity and we're going to bring you the No Filter Conversation with Mel Robbins on the only life lesson you need to know now.

This is the woman who turned her life advice into a global movement.

If you have not seen the Let Them book, it is on like every bookstore shelf and every major department store.

We're going to get positive.

Tune in for some.

Really inspirational content on how to change your approach to life.

It is really good.

And then we're going to be stepping up to the mirror after that, because we're going to be looking at our skin anti aging messages to injectibles and fillers, and how to deal with the fact that we were under the impression that once you stop being a teenager, pimple stopped happening.

True, did not happen for me, I will say.

And then we're going to talk about things like exmoransoriasis and roseationa and lots of different skin conditions that impact a lot of us.

And then we will touch on skin cancer as well, because as Australians we are all too aware of how slip slop, slap seek.

And slid shade sly slick slyer.

Though there's lots of essas in that message anyway, So that is coming up soon.

So if you do have questions about your skin, make sure you get them in.

Have a great day.

We'll see you next Thursday.

Bye Bye Well is produced by me Claire Murphy and our senior producer, Sally Best, with audio production by Scott Stronik, in video production by Julian Rosario, with social production by Ellie Moore.

Mamma Mia acknowledges the traditional owners of the land.

We have recorded this podcast on the Gatagoul people of the Eora Nation.

We pay our respects to their elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and torres Rate Islander cultures.