To the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives assembled in Parliament:

The petition of certain citizens of Australia points out to the House that -

1.   1,400 Australians every year are diagnosed with a primary brain tumour, many of which are of the most lethal type called glioblastoma multiforme grade iv;

2.   At a major oncology conference held in June in the USA scientists reported the results of a Phase III trial of 573 patients with this particular tumour in 85 centres throughout Europe, Canada and Australia, which showed remarkable improvements in the two-year survival of patients and better median survival and progression-free survival.

3.   The trial involved concomitant use of radiation therapy and the chemotherapy drug temozolomide (Temodar), and continuing use of the drug afterwards, resulting in an increase in the number of patients still alive at two years from 10% to 27%.

Your petitioners therefore pray that the House ask the Health Minister and Government to take urgent and compassionate action to ensure that this new therapy is made available immediately as a subsidised benefit for all newly diagnosed brain tumour patients who have this particular type of tumour.