Abstract
Cancer research has never been more important to Aotearoa New Zealand. More than 30,000 New Zealanders are expected to be diagnosed with cancer in 2026, increasing to more than 45,000 annually by 2044. Five-year cancer survival has improved substantially over the past 25 years, but New Zealand continues to lag behind comparable high-income countries. Cancer remains our leading cause of death. The challenge is not about providing more cancer treatment but to create a health system capable of generating and rapidly applying the evidence that will improve prevention, earlier diagnosis, treatment and survivorship.