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New Zealand cancer survival rates significantly worse than Australia

February 19, 2018

The Cancer Society’s Dr Chris Jackson says findings Australians are more likely to survive cancer than Kiwis is not good enough.

You are more likely to survive cancer if you live in Australia than New Zealand.

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Exclusive figures released to TVNZ1's Breakfast show New Zealand's cancer treatment program is lagging significantly behind out neighbours across the Tasman when it comes to survival rates for five of the most common types of the disease.

Over the last five years, 2500 cancer patients in New Zealand wouldn't have died if they had been treated in Australia.

There’re now calls for urgent action to tackle the shocking statistics.

The Cancer Society is calling for action, including targeting obesity rates and amending screening programmes.

Medical director of the Cancer Society, Dr Chris Jackson, says the whole approach to cancer treatment in New Zealand needs a "reboot".

"I think it is very significant. One in three New Zealanders is affected by cancer at some stage in their lives and many of us know someone who's affected by cancer," Dr Jackson says.

"People who are affected by cancer are our friends, our mums, our dads, our workmates and the very thought more could have been done to save their life to me is frankly appalling."

Dr Jackson highlighted our failure to achieve smoke free targets, citing the goal of being a smoke free nation by 2025 will not be hit.

The fact fewer Australian's smoke, and the lack of a unified obesity plan, and insufficient sun-smart plans in schools and workplaces were also raised by Dr Jackson. 

"The solutions are pretty straightforward, but what we need are joined up strong central leadership, whereby we get some good signals from the government, strong central leadership from the government to have a very strong cancer plan," Dr Jackson said.

Dr Jackson said it was "surprising" that New Zealand does not have a 10-year cancer plan for its biggest killer.

Instead, the government's existing cancer plan has only a forward horizon of one year ahead.

"How we can have any kind of planning in that context is incredible," Dr Jackson said.

Aside from better preventative measures, Dr Jackson said better access to specialists in a faster fashion was also key to improving New Zealand's cancer survival rates.

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