Investigating Breast Cancer Detection Disparities and the Cost-effectiveness of an Expanded Screening Programme in Aotearoa New Zealand.

The Challenge: Every day, about 9 to 10 women in Aotearoa New Zealand are diagnosed with breast cancer, making it a significant health issue across the country. Despite more than half of women presenting symptoms, Māori and Pacific women face the toughest battles with this disease. To dive deeper into this issue, we've been studying a large breast cancer register maintained by the Breast Cancer Foundation NZ, which holds detailed information on over 40,000 individuals diagnosed with breast cancer across the country. Building on this, we're trying to understand why outcomes differ so significantly between women who find their cancer through screening and those who discover it due to symptoms. We're also looking at the financial and life quality costs tied to how breast cancer is detected. Our goal is to uncover the reasons behind these disparities and propose changes to policies that could help close the gap.

The Project: We aim to 1) Conduct detailed statistical research on breast cancer detection in New Zealand women, examining everything from the way the disease is found to the characteristics of the tumours and the women themselves. 2) Analyse the costs associated with different detection methods, aiming to recommend policy adjustments that could make breast cancer screening more effective and equitable.

Why It Matters: Through this project, we hope to gain insights that will guide New Zealand towards more effective, and cost-efficient breast cancer detection (and treatment) strategies for all women, with the ultimate goal to improve health outcomes for all.

FIRST NAMED INVESTIGATOR: Dr Annette Lasham
HOST INVESTIGATOR: University of Auckland