摘要：We explored the contribution of stage at diagnosis to ethnic disparities in cancer survival in New Zealand. We linked 115811 adult patients with invasive cancer registered on the cancer registry (1994 to 2002) to mortality data. Age-standardized, 5-year relative survival rates were lowest for Maori, intermediate for Pacific people (otherwise known as Pacific Islanders), and highest for non-Maori/non-Pacific people for many cancers. Stage at diagnosis accounted for only part of these differences. Possible factors responsible for ethnic inequalities might include access to specialized cancer services and the quality of care received. The ethnic mix of the more than 4 million people of New Zealand includes the indigenous Maori (15% of the population) and Pacific Islanders (7%), originally from the South Pacific islands (hereafter referred to as Pacific people). The majority of non-Maori/non-Pacific people are of European descent. The Treaty of Waitangi (1840) was a formal agreement between Maori hapu (subtribes) and the British Crown, which guaranteed equity between Maori and other New Zealand citizens. 1 Because health rights are implicit in the treaty, 2 the poor health status of Maori 3 can be considered a breach of their rights under the treaty. 4 Since 1980, ethnic disparities in cancer mortality have widened. 5 These inequalities cannot be explained by the differences in incidence 6, 7 and point to likely differences in access to and quality of health care. 8 The few studies that have examined ethnic inequalities in cancer survival in New Zealand 9– 11 did not account for background (other cause) mortality rates. Our goal was to quantify the disparities and to estimate the magnitude of the contribution of stage of disease to these inequalities.
