Blood cancers and Māori: a perspective on current evidence and next steps

Blood cancers are some of the more common cancers and causes of cancer death among Māori in Aotearoa New Zealand. Leukaemia is the fifth most frequently diagnosed cancer among Māori and the ninth most common cause of Māori cancer death, while non-Hodgkin lymphoma is the eighth most commonly diagnosed and the tenth most common cause of death. Māori have poorer cancer-specific survival for all forms of blood cancer. Overall, the causes of blood cancers are not fully understood, and the proportion of blood cancers that may be attributable to known modifiable risk factors is modest compared to solid tumours. However, there are some risk factors known to influence tumour development. Improving survival for Māori and closing gaps in survival between Māori and non-Māori will require improvements in access to early detection and best-practice treatment for Māori with these cancers. In this viewpoint, we summarise the key actions we may take to reduce blood cancers for Māori, improve survival outcomes and reduce disparities.