Economist Intelligence Unit Investigates Lung Cancer In New Zealand And Reveals Ethnic Disparity

19th November 2021. The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has published a report1 on best practice policy settings for the prevention and control of lung cancer in selected countries and territories across Asia-Pacific – New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, South Korea, China, Indonesia, Philippines and Hong Kong.

The report was commissioned by Merck Sharp & Dohme (New Zealand) Limited (MSD). The EIU retained editorial control, so that all nal decisions and conclusions are its alone.

Report author Dr Rohini Omkar from the EIU, says “For a small country New Zealand is punching above its weight. The Cancer Action Plan led by Te Ahu O Te Kahu; Cancer Control Agency, is an example of what can be done when national efforts are focused on a big problem.

“But there is plenty of room for improvement. Given lung cancer is New Zealand’s biggest cancer killer;2 screening programmes and increased public funding for lung cancer treatments such as immunotherapies and targeted medicines should be carefully considered.”

The report reviewed seven drugs used across 13 non-small cell lung cancer indications and found none were funded in New Zealand. This was in stark contrast to Australia and Japan which funded 11 and 13 of these indications respectively. New Zealand is reportedly on par with the Philippines and Thailand with respect to drug reimbursement. However targeted drugs gefitinib and alectinib are reimbursed by the New Zealand public health system.

Dr Rohini Omkar says, “Patients in New Zealand can access unfunded medicines through the private health sector if they can afford to pay. The stark divisions between the quality and availability of care in the public and private health services has created a two-tier system.

“Another notable finding was the significant disparities in health outcomes experienced by Māori. Māori are often diagnosed at a late stage in hospital emergency departments, which leads to poorer lung cancer outcomes.”

The report also revealed variations in lung cancer care across New Zealand. This was illustrated by access to tumour testing. Tumour testing is important for determining the type of lung cancer, which helps ensure the patient receives the right treatment for them. While tumour testing is available in New Zealand not all district health boards offer this service. Lung cancer treatment guidelines and standards were found to be applied differently depending on where you live. Referral to respiratory specialists also varied depending on your location.

MSD New Zealand, Managing Director, Paul Smith, says “We’re making progress in New Zealand. We have a strong legal framework for tobacco control and Te Ahu O Te Kahu is doing a very good job of pulling in resources and focusing the national attention on cancer control efforts.

“But we must do better. The EIU found that guidelines and timeframes were not being applied consistently throughout the country, patients were not receiving public access to personalised medicines and Māori were disproportionately affected from lung cancer. We are hopeful that current efforts at the national level will help to ensure better screening, diagnosis and access to lung cancer treatments. This will ultimately put an end to postcode lotteries in cancer care,” concluded Paul.

The full report is available here…… https://www.eiu.com/n/campaigns/breathing-in-a-new-era-a-comparative-analysis-of-lung-cancer-policies-across-the-asia-pacific-region/
 

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