Abstract
Cancer is the leading cause of death in Aotearoa/New Zealand. The number of those affected by cancer is forecast to increase by 50% in the next 15 years, primarily driven by a growing and ageing population. Our survival rates from cancer lag behind those of Australia, Canada and Scandinavian countries, and are not improving at the same rate as elsewhere. Even more telling is that our outcomes for cancer vary within New Zealand. Our Indigenous and most marginalised fare worse, with Māori and Pacific people having higher rates of preventable cancers, worse survival and higher death rates than other New Zealanders. Increasingly, regional variations in care and outcome are being reported.