The epidemiology of breast cancer in Maori women in Aotearoa New Zealand: implications for screening and treatment

Aim To describe the epidemiology of breast cancer in Maori and non-Maori women in New Zealand, and to identify the implications for breast cancer screening and treatment policy and practice. Methods New Zealand Census Mortality Study (NZCMS)-adjusted age-specific incidence and mortality rates for breast cancer in total and sole Maori and non-Maori women were calculated using registration and mortality data obtained from New Zealand Health Information Service for 1996-2000. Results Despite similar age-specific incidence rates of breast cancer in total Maori and non-Maori women under 50 years of age, total Maori women aged 25-59 years had higher age-specific mortality from breast cancer than non-Maori. A similar pattern is seen for sole Maori age-specific rates; however, the rates are even higher than total Maori rates. Discussion Possible drivers of ethnic disparities in breast cancer mortality require investigation-particularly the role of access to breast cancer screening and treatment for Maori women compared to non-Maori. Specific initiatives are continually needed to ensure that Maori women are able to access breast cancer screening-otherwise ethnic inequalities in mortality will persist. The interaction between deprivation and ethnicity in breast cancer incidence and mortality analyses should be investigated in future analyses.