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Tracey O’Brien: Lung cancer doesn’t discriminate

Tracey O'Brien and Victoria Taber

Nov 21, 2024, 09:04

Tracey O’Brien: Lung cancer doesn’t discriminate

Tracey O’Brien, NSW Chief Cancer Officer and CEO of the Cancer Institute NSW, shared a post on LinkedIn:

“‘Don’t discard lung cancer, that it’s not going to happen to you because you’re a non-smoker. Lung cancer can happen to anyone, regardless of age, gender, and smoking history.’

These are the words of Victoria Taber, a non-smoker who was devastated by a lung cancer diagnosis at just 29 years of age.

Newly married, Victoria had a routine medical check ahead of an overseas trip and was shocked to hear the words ‘you have lung cancer’. Less than two weeks later, Victoria had surgery to remove her affected lung and underwent intensive chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Now healthy and well, she is helping de-stigmatise a lung cancer diagnosis and sharing an important message: lung cancer doesn’t discriminate.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in NSW and you don’t need to smoke to be at risk.

This Lung Cancer Awareness Month. I urge everyone to re-think their view of lung cancer and look out for the signs and symptoms of this lethal cancer.

Read Victoria’s powerful story and find out more on the signs and symptoms of lung cancer.”

Tracey O'Brien

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Dr. Tracey O’Brien is the NSW Chief Cancer Officer and CEO of the Cancer Institute NSW, Australia. Before her current role, Tracey was Director of the Kids Cancer Centre, Sydney Children’s Hospital, and Director of the Transplant and Cellular Therapy Program. Tracey has held numerous high-profile national and international leadership positions, including Advisory Chair, Cancer Australia; V/Chair (Africa, Asia and Australasia) International Centre for Bone Marrow Transplant Research and V/President of the Australian and New Zealand Children’s Oncology Group.

In recognition of her exceptional contributions, Tracey was profiled in 2023 as one of the world’s foremost women in paediatric cancer by the International Society of Paediatric Oncology. In 2019 Tracey was named in the Australian Financial Review’s prestigious Top 10 Women of Influence, winning the Innovation category.

In addition to her medical expertise, Tracey has a Master of Law (Health) and executive MBA and serves as a conjoint Professor in Clinical Medicine (UNSW) and Honorary Professor in Science and Engineering (Macquarie University). Dr. O’Brien remains committed to mentoring the next generation of clinician leaders and maintains an active clinical practice in cancer survivorship at Sydney Children’s Hospital.