title: Comparison of cancer survival in New Zealand and Australia, 2006-2010.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Previous studies have shown substantially higher mortality rates from cancer in New Zealand compared to Australia, but these studies have not included data on patient survival. This study compares the survival of cancer patients diagnosed in 2006-10 in the whole populations of New Zealand and Australia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Identical period survival methods were used to calculate relative survival ratios for all cancers combined, and for 18 cancers each accounting for more than 50 deaths per year in New Zealand, from 1 to 10 years from diagnosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cancer survival was lower in New Zealand, with 5-year relative survival being 4.2% lower in women, and 3.8% lower in men for all cancers combined. Of 18 cancers, 14 showed lower survival in New Zealand; the exceptions, with similar survival in each country, being melanoma, myeloma, mesothelioma, and cervical cancer. For most cancers, the differences in survival were maximum at 1 year after diagnosis, becoming smaller later; however, for breast cancer, the survival difference increased with time after diagnosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The lower survival in New Zealand, and the higher mortality rates shown earlier, suggest that further improvements in recognition, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer in New Zealand should be possible. As the survival differences are seen soon after diagnosis, issues of early management in primary care and time intervals to diagnosis and treatment may be particularly important.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Population Health, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand. mark.elwood@auckland.ac.nz.
authors.forename: Phyu S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Aye
authors.forename: J Mark
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Elwood
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Stevanovic
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality*; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D012042:Registries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016019:Survival Analysis; D017741:Survivors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult