A recent report has revealed that federal government in Australia is needed to make more efforts to fight cancer issue in rural and remote areas. The Rural Doctors Association has been urging the government to help cancer patients in rural areas, who have been suffering more than those in the major sectors.

Various instances of the problem in such areas have been seen by the members of the Rural Doctors Association. One of which is of a woman, Lesley Reilly, residing outside Alice Springs. She told that a mobile breast screen clinic visited their area 12 years ago and she had been diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer. It was a total shock for her and she had to travel 1,500 kilometers for care and radiotherapy.

She added that people in rural areas need more to be looked after and should not be ignored. The lady had travelled the long distance, though it was believed by the aboriginal people that one is almost in a foreign environment if away from his or her own community.

It has been found by the report that high number of deaths occur in the rural and remote areas of the country due to the deadly disease of cancer. The figure has been found to be 35% high as compared to that in urban regions. In addition to it, the number of patients victimized by bowel and prostate cancer in pastoral regions is considerably large as against that noted in the urban and high class regions.

The Government has claimed that the 24 regional cancer centers that were announced the previous year would surely do their bits to address and improve the situation of rural and remote areas. However, President Paul Mara of the Association says, "We're looking for a national advanced training program that rolls out advanced skills for doctors so it gives them the skills, the qualifications and competence to practise in the bush".