Cancer is the leading cause of death in New Zealand. The number of those affected is forecast to increase for the foreseeable future. Our cancer survival rates in New Zealand currently lag behind those of Australia, our most vulnerable populations continue to experience poorer outcomes from cancer than other New Zealanders and the costs of cancer care keep on increasing exponentially. The C3 research group actively works with key stakeholders to advocate for and develop a vision for long-term cancer control specific to the needs of Aotearoa / New Zealand.
Key activities
- We co-hosted the landmark 'Cancer Care at a Crossroads' conference held in January 2019, with the Cancer Society of New Zealand. This event galvanised the sector and resulted in the development of a new National Cancer Plan.
Speaker presentations - Members of the C3 team were directly involved in the development of the national Cancer Action Plan 2019–2029, including successfully advocating for the inclusion of a goal to achieve cancer equity for Māori by the year 2030.
- Members of the C3 team are now involved at multiple levels of Te Aho o Te Kahu – Cancer Control Agency, including direct involvement with current work around cancer service planning.
Key publications
Gurney, J., Campbell, S., Jackson, C., Sarfati, D. (2019). Equity by 2030: Achieving equity in survival for Māori cancer patients. New Zealand Medical Journal, 132(1505), p66-76.
Sarfati D, Jackson CGCA, Macfarlane S, Bissett I, Robson B, Gurney J, Kemp R, James N, Adler J, Scott N, McMenamin J. Cancer Care at a Crossroads: Time to make a choice. NZ Med J 2019 132 (1493): 6-11.
Jackson CGCA, Sarfati D. Cancer Care at a Crossroads. NZMJ Digest 2019, issue 87 http://digest.nzma.org.nz/default.aspx?iid=163806&startpage=page0000011#folio=1
Dew K, Barton J, Stairmand J, Sarfati D, Signal L. Ascertaining patients' understandings: Dealing with contradictory norms in cancer specialist consultations. Health Sociology Review (in press).
Dew K, Stairmand J, Signal L, Sarfati D. Cancer care decision-making and treatment consent: An observational study of patients' and clinicians' rights. Journal of Sociology 2019; 55(1): 161-78.
Sharples K, Firth M, Hinder V, Hill A, Jeffery M, Sarfati D, Brown C, Atmore C, Lawrenson R, Reid P, Derrett S, Macapagel J, Keating J, Secker A, De Groot C, Jackson C, Findlay M. The New Zealand PIPER Project: Colorectal cancer survival according to rurality, ethnicity and socioeconomic deprivation – results from a retrospective cohort study. NZ Medical Journal 2018;131(1476):24-39
Lawrenson R, Lao C, Campbell I, Harvey V, Seneviratne S, Elwood M, Sarfati D, Kuper-Hommel M. The impact of different tumour sub-types on management and survival of New Zealand women with stage I-III breast cancer. NZ Med J 2018; 131(1475): 51-60.