Sisters Lidia Nancovski and Lana Klimovski partner with Cancer Council Australia to save lives

A new platform will deliver vital reminders that could help save Australians from cancer. Here’s how to access it and how it works.

Twin sisters Lidia Nancovski and Lana Klimovski watched both their grandmothers suffer and die of preventable cancers in a space of four years.

And with thousands of Australians dying each year from cancers that could have been detected early, there are fears those numbers will rise further due to the decline in testing during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Breast cancer screenings in April 2020 were down 98 per cent compared with April 2018, while over the past decade, the number of breast cancer cases has climbed from 14,693 to 20,030.

Almost 1.2 million at-home bowel screening tests were sent to eligible Australian aged between 50 and 74 in June this year as part National Bowel Cancer Screening Program, with just a third returning samples for testing.

The alarming figures prompted the sisters to partner nationally with Cancer Council Australia to launch their doctors.com.au platform, which delivers vital reminders to people about the need for regular screenings and health checks.

Twin sisters Lidia Nancovski and Lana Klimovski. Picture: Supplied

The AI-driven website uses metrics such as age, gender and the date an individual last attended an appointment to send targeted messages to them about regular cancer screenings.

The website will also allow patients to search for and book appointments, while enabling medical practices to more effectively manage patient care including scheduling – and particularly follow-ups and reminders.

“Lana and I were only 23 years of age when we learned our paternal grandmother, Jovanka Nastevski, then 75, was diagnosed with cervical cancer,” Ms Nancovski said.

“It was such a shock to both us and our parents. I clearly remember how upset they were because dad was only 52 years of age.

“Little did we know it would get worse. Four years later, our other grandmother, Menka Stepanovski, was diagnosed with breast cancer at 77.

Photo of Lidia Nancovski (left) and Lana Klimovski (far right) aged six with their late grandparents and older sister. Picture: Supplied

“Jovanka passed away in 2015, and Menka in 2018. Our family had to watch the health of both beloved grandmothers slowly deteriorate. It was just heartbreaking and agonising.”

“Almost half of Australians have a preventable illness, which is an alarming figure,” Ms Nancovski said.

“We were very close to all our grandparents, we lived with two of them. Three generations of the one family under the one roof.

“For our grandmothers’ generation, they really didn’t have the knowledge or the understanding about the need for regular check-ups or felt uncomfortable about having them.”

Chief executive officer of Cancer Council Victoria Todd Harper said the organisation was “inspired” to partner with the sisters as “prevention and early detection is a focus for us”.

“Their platform focuses on the ongoing healthcare we all need.,” Mr Harper said.

“That means things like reminders for your next screening, and age-dependent regular check-ups.”

Melbourne mother-of-three Karen Coulson knows first hand the importance of early cancer detection. She was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 50.

Cancer Survivor Karen Coulson relaxes with her daughters Georgia Robertson, 34 and Rachael Coulson, 35. Picture: supplied

“With no symptoms or family history I was shocked when I discovered I had the early stages of breast cancer, but so fortunate to catch it at an early stage to get it under control,” she said.

“I now have yearly check-ups. My latest was only four weeks ago. I cannot emphasise enough the importance of preventive screening.

“By attending BreastScreen when I became eligible for routine screening saved my life and now at 62, I live a healthy, happy life.“

For every new patient booking made on Doctors.com.au, $1 is donated to Cancer Council Australia.

Originally published as Sisters Lidia Nancovski and Lana Klimovski partner with Cancer Council Australia to save lives