Journal article

Social inequalities or inequities in cancer incidence? Repeated census-cancer cohort studies, New Zealand 1981-1986 to 2001-2004

T Blakely, C Shaw, J Atkinson, R Cunningham, D Sarfati

Cancer Causes and Control | SPRINGER | Published : 2011

Abstract

Background: We examine incidence trends for 18 adult cancers, by ethnicity and socioeconomic position in New Zealand. Methods: The 1981 to 2001 censuses were linked to subsequent cancer registrations, giving 47.5 million person-years of follow-up. Results: Ethnicity: Pooled over time, differences were marked: Pacific and Māori rates of cervical, endometrial, stomach and pancreatic cancers were 1.5-2.5 times European/Other rates; Māori, Pacific and Asian rates of liver cancer were 5 times European/Other; European/Other rates of colorectal, bladder and brain cancers were 1.5-2 times the rates of other groups and melanoma rates 5-10 times higher; Pacific and Asian kidney cancer rates were half ..

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University of Melbourne Researchers

Grants

Awarded by Health Research Council of New Zealand


Funding Acknowledgements

We acknowledge comments on drafts of this paper from Martin Tobias, Lis Ellison Loschmann, Andrew Sporle, and Sam Harper. Cancer registry data, which are linked to the census, are provided by the Ministry of Health. This work was supported by the Health Research Council of New Zealand (06/256) and is part of the Health Inequalities Research Programme (08/048). Funding support has also been received from the Ministry of Health. The funders had no role in the writing up of this paper.