Cancer patients slipping through the cracks: Experts call for change

Cancer Society of New Zealand medical director Chris Jackson. Photo / Supplied

This week the Herald has told heartbreaking stories of New Zealanders dying of cancer after slipping through the cracks of the public health system. We have revealed GPs failing to pick up the deadly disease, excessive wait times at DHBs, and "unacceptable" inequalities for care. Now, cancer experts Chris Jackson and Diana Sarfati tell us what needs to change.

In this week's Herald we have heard harrowing stories of people who have been affected by cancer but failed by the system. There's no question that we can do better.

First, we have to accept we have a problem. While we do better than some countries, we currently have worse survival than our cousins in Australia and Canada.

Second, we need to make cancer a priority. Cancer is our number one killer and the number of people with cancer is predicted to swell by 50 per cent in the next 15 years. Cancer care is one of the most complex and expensive parts of the health system.

Director of the Cancer and Chronic Conditions research group at University of Otago professor Diana Sarfati. Photo / Supplied

Third, we need a plan. Not repackaging the status quo, but a platinum plan covering prevention, early detection, treatment, follow-up, and end-of-life care.

We need good information, monitoring, and honest reporting. We must move beyond blaming individuals for outcomes, and focus on systems-based accountability.

We must be bold on prevention. This means being fearless on smoking, obesity, alcohol, and being sun smart, even if there are vested interests that work to stop some changes being made. We need to provide an environment that supports our kids to grow up healthy.

We have to talk about treatment. Better drugs, best surgery which might mean fewer but world-class centres, and eliminating variation in radiotherapy. Not every new drug or technology will be affordable; so we have to prioritise those things that really make a difference.

We need to confront the uncomfortable truth that some Kiwis feel the burden of cancer unfairly, particularly Māori and Pasifika, which might mean targeting interventions and prioritising programmes to ensure all New Zealanders share the benefits of a first world system.

Cancer Society of New Zealand medical director Chris Jackson. Photo / Supplied

But more than anything, we need change. Otherwise, we can guarantee that we will continue to stay the same.

Authors: Dr Christopher Jackson, medical director, Cancer Society of NZ, and medical oncologist, Southern DHB; and Professor Diana Sarfati, Head of Department and director, Cancer and Chronic Conditions (C3) Research Group, University of Otago (Wellington)