Stomach cancer is a leading cause of mortality worldwide, accounting for some 650,000 deaths annually. In New Zealand, stomach cancer is a particularly important disease for the indigenous Māori and the Pacific populations, with rates 3-6 times higher than European New Zealanders. Survival from stomach cancer is also worse for Māori. Our work in this area includes identifying the drivers for both the disparities in incidence and survival, including the prevalence and role of H Pylori, and investigating possible interventions to address these drivers.
Ko te mate pukupuku i te puku tētahi o ngā tino take e mate ana te tangata i te ao, arā ko tōna 650,000 tāngata ka mate i ia tau. I Aotearoa, ko te mate pukupuku i te puku tētahi o ngā tino mate e pā ana ki a Ngāi Māori me ngā iwi o te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa, arā, kei te 3-6 tāima te kaha ake o te mate, tērā i te iwi Pākehā. Kei te kino ake hoki ngā tatauranga a Ngāi Māori mō te ora i te mate pukupuku i te puku. Kei te hāngai ā mātau mahi i konei ki te tautohu i ngā take o te ōritenga kore o te pānga atu me te oranga mai, tae atu ki te nui me te wāhi ki te H Pylori, ā, ki te tirotiro i ngā mahi hei aukati atu i ēnei take.
Projects
- C3 Qualitative Study: Cancer care journeys and clinical decision-making
- C3 Quantitative Study: Effect of comorbidity on care and cancer survival inequalities
- Stomach cancer inequalities and interventions (Virginia Signal)
Key publications
Signal. V, Gurney. J, Inns. S, McLeod. M, Sika-Paotonu. D, Sowerbutts. S, Teng. A, Sarfati. D. (In Press). Helicobacter pylori, stomach cancer and its prevention in New Zealand. Journal of the Royal Society New Zealand.
Teng A, Blakely T, Baker M, Sarfati D. The contribution of Helicobacter pylori to excess gastric cancer in Indigenous and Pacific men: a birth cohort estimate. Gastric Cancer 2016; DOI 10.1007/s10120-016-0671-8.
McDonald A, Sarfati D, Baker M, Blakely T. Trends in Helicobacter pylori infection among Māori, Pacific and European birth cohorts in New Zealand. Helicobacter 2015; 20(2): 139-45.
Signal V, Sarfati D, Cunningham R, Gurney J, Koea J, Ellison-Loschmann L. Indigenous inequities in the presentation and management of stomach cancer in New Zealand: a country with universal health care coverage. Gastric Cancer 2014; DOI: 10.1007/s10120-014-0410-y (advanced access)
Sarfati D, Gurney J, Stanley J, Koea J. A retrospective cohort study of patients with stomach and liver cancers: the impact of comorbidity and ethnicity on cancer care and outcomes. BMC Cancer 2014, 14:821 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2407-14-821