Cancer incidence, mortality and survival for Pacific Peoples in Aotearoa New Zealand

Pacific Peoples comprise over 16 culturally diverse ethnic groups and experience a disproportionate burden of preventable cancers, attributable to infectious diseases and obesity. This study aims to provide updated evidence on cancer incidence, mortality and survival rates among Pacific Peoples in Aotearoa New Zealand.

The study extracted incident cases of cancer diagnosed between 2007-2019 from the New Zealand Cancer Registry (NZCR) and linked them to the national Mortality Collection to determine individuals who died of cancer over the study period. The study also compared cancer survival rates between Pacific and European peoples in Aotearoa New Zealand. The most commonly diagnosed cancers and the most common causes of cancer death among Pacific Peoples were identified, and key findings were summarised. The European population was utilised as the comparator group for the analyses. The study employed a total ethnicity approach, wherein anyone with a record of Pacific ethnicity was classified as Total Pacific, regardless of other ethnicities. The age- and sex-standardised incidence and mortality rates were calculated, and 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates determined. We used Cox proportional-hazards models to compare survival outcomes between Pacific and European peoples.

The study results revealed that Pacific Peoples in Aotearoa New Zealand experience higher cancer incidence and a lower survival rate for several cancers, including lung, liver and stomach cancers, when compared to the European population. This study underscores the need for intervention to reduce the burden of cancer among Pacific Peoples and improve cancer outcomes. This study's findings can inform planning and delivery of interventions to achieve equitable outcomes across the cancer continuum for Pacific Peoples in Aotearoa New Zealand.