Treating cancer is only part of the journey. How do we improve the rest of the journey for patients and families in New Zealand?
Most New Zealanders will be impacted by cancer in their lifetime, either directly, or through friends or family members affected by cancer. Cancer is the leading cause of death in New Zealand. It accounts for nearly one-third of all deaths. By 2040, the number of diagnoses is predicted to be around 52,531, or 144 people a day.
General practice is an essential part of cancer care as it is directly involved in all stages of the cancer continuum, from screening, diagnosis and referral to secondary care, to ongoing support post-treatment. One of the challenges facing clinicians and health services is how to identify, reduce or even eliminate such inequities in cancer-related outcomes.
With larger data sets, we can improve care for our patients. Large data sets help researchers understand how targeted treatments have worked for genetically similar patients in the past, and help us uncover treatments we may not have thought of. Assembling large data sets requires health systems to share information. Technology companies are now making it possible for providers to do this. The quantity and quality of shared data are transforming the care that cancer patients receive. Platforms such as CanShare, which aim to allow timely sharing of relevant and accurate cancer data, are hugely valuable.
In general, the outcome measures for cancer management should go beyond simply mortality reduction. Research conducted by the Economist Impact last year highlighted opportunities to improve outcomes for people living with cancer in New Zealand. The target should be to improve quality of life by providing patient-centred care and support. To align the priorities of individuals impacted by cancer and the preferences of the decision-makers, a cancer expert coalition should be established with patient advocates, industry representatives, academia, and relevant healthcare professionals. Since screening programmes play a vital role in early detection, impacting patient outcomes, monitoring and evaluating screening programmes at regular intervals is essential. The screening programme data, alongside important KPIs such as coverage and uptake, can be used to inform policy makers whether the screening programme is delivering the expected benefits or not. Ensuring timely uptake and availability of screening programmes is accessible for Māori and Pacific peoples is key to improving outcomes. Awareness is the first step towards any change. It is critical to promote health literacy to increase participation in preventive care measures such as lifestyle changes and exercise, self-examination, regular check-ups with GPs, and screening for eligible candidates.
“We have many world class aspects of cancer control in New Zealand, and the cancer workforce is full of highly committed and talented people, but if we are to improve our cancer survival rates compared to similar countries, focused action is needed”