A petition with more than 7000 signatures, calling for national diagnostic guidelines to be developed, better treatment options, as well as more government funding, was presented by then-National Party MP Louise Upston on the steps of Parliament, 16 March, 2021. Photo: RNZ / Dom Thomas
This story (originally published on 9 March) has been edited to clarify that "more than 42 percent of cancers in New Zealand are diagnosed as a result of an emergency admission" was based on a study of eight selected types of cancer, not all cancers.
About 1000 people who die of cancer every year in New Zealand would have survived if they lived in Australia.
That is the stark conclusion of Auckland University cancer epidemiologist Professor Mark Elwood, who has analysed New Zealand's cancer outcomes in an editorial in the New Zealand Medical Journal.
"We're about 11 percent below what we would be [in survival rates] if we had the same experience as Australia and it's been that way for 20 years.
"Cancer death rates in both countries have gone down, but the differences have persisted.
"And that means we have about 1000 extra deaths than we could have."
Between 2014 and 2018, deaths in New Zealand from cancer were 17 percent higher among women and 5 percent higher in men, compared with Australia.
Survival figures for Māori were even worse.
Health Minister Shane Reti this week announced five new health targets, including "faster cancer treatment", with 90 percent of patients to receive treatment within 31 days of the decision to treat.
Health Minister Shane Reti announcing the five new health targets in Whangārei. Photo: RNZ/Nick Monro
The last time the health system met that 90 percent target was September 2021.
In September 2023, 85 percent of cancer patients received treatment within a month.
Professor Elwood said timely treatment was vital, but that alone could not completely close the survival gap with Australia.
The biggest factor in long-term survival with cancer was speed of diagnosis.
"The biggest barriers we have got are at the primary care level - it's difficult and slow for GPs to investigate patients, get tests done, get specialist opinions when needed.
"All that has to happen before a diagnosis is confirmed."
In a study of 8 selected cancer types, more than 42 percent of those cancers in New Zealand are diagnosed as a result of an emergency admission - higher than Britain, Canada, Australia, Norway and Denmark.
Lower funding, staff and equipment shortages and fewer funded medicines also added up to worse survival rates, Elwood said.
"There are 18 medicines available in Australia, which would likely have substantial benefits to some people. But it's a relatively small number compared with the large number of people for whom prompt diagnosis would make a much bigger difference."
The workload for New Zealand oncologists is nearly twice as big, with 525 cases per specialist in New Zealand compared with 272 for their Australian colleagues.
Excess deaths were not because New Zealanders had more cancer compared with Australia, Elwood said.
Cancer rates here were "actually slightly lower".
"It's because we're not as successful in treating it. And that is an indication of the entire system. To get good outcomes in cancer is a test of the whole health system from diagnosis to advanced care."