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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2008-11-25 Daily Xml
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Ministerial Statement

WOMEN'S AND CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL, BREAST CANCER

The Hon. J.D. HILL (Kaurna—Minister for Health, Minister for the Southern Suburbs, Minister Assisting the Premier in the Arts) (14:41): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.D. HILL: Late last year, concerns were raised by staff members at the Women's and Children's Hospital in regard to an apparent elevated number of cases of breast cancer among staff working in the hospital's Queen Victoria Building. Cancer expert Professor David Roder was engaged by the Women's and Children's Hospital to conduct an independent review of the cases and determine if the number was elevated.

Professor Roder is the head of Research and Information Science at the Cancer Council of South Australia. He reviewed cases of all women who are or were working at the Women's and Children's Hospital from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2007, including Spotless contract staff and volunteers. In May, Professor Roder produced his preliminary findings. He found no apparent increase in breast cancer for women working in the majority of the hospital, but he found that there was an elevation of cases for women working in the eight-year period review. There have been nine more cases of breast cancer over the eight-year period for women working in the Queen Victoria Building than one would expect to see in a workforce of this size. He also found a decreased risk for other types of cancers among women in the Queen Victoria Building over the same period of time. Professor Roder believed that the elevated number of breast cancer cases was a random occurrence.

After the preliminary findings were produced, Professor Roder expanded his inquiry to look at past and present volunteers and staff from 1995 to 1999. He found no statistically significant increases in the number of breast cancers found among staff during this period. Professor Roder's findings were then validated by four epidemiological experts from Australia and overseas. The Children, Youth and Women's Health Service also launched an independent environmental audit of the Queen Victoria Building this year to review risk factors in the building. The chemicals used on site—water, air, air magnetic fields and radiation levels—were all tested. The environmental audit report found no significant risks or issues of public concern.

In his final report, Professor Roder has concluded that there is no apparent causal environmental agent that might be linked to the elevated number of cases. He suggests that other factors could be at play producing the elevated numbers, such as more women participating in breast screening programs and more staff with a strong family history of breast cancer. He has recommended monitoring of the incidence of breast cancer cases at the Queen Victoria Building every three to four years. Today, staff are being briefed on those findings. I now table both Professor Roder's final report and the environmental audit.

Throughout the review, the Children, Youth and Women's Health Service invited current and former staff to comment on the concerns and provide any information that might assist the review. Up to 22 staff have been interviewed as part of that process and their stories will be published in a report early next year. Of course, every incidence of breast cancer is tragic, but I hope Professor Roder's report and the environmental audit go some way to allaying the concerns of staff at the hospital. I wish to thank Professor Roder for his work on this review. The report will be accessible at the Women's and Children's Hospital website at www.wch.sa.gov.au.

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