NEW ZEALAND HEALTH INFORMATION SERVICE
Cancer
In New Zealand, approximately one quarter of all deaths are caused by cancer. A detailed report entitled Cancer: New Registrations and Deaths is published annually by the New Zealand Health Information Service. This publication provides information about all cases of primary malignant cancer reported to the New Zealand Cancer Registry, as well as information about deaths from cancer.
In 2001, 95.2 percent of deaths from cancer occurred at 45 years of age and over, with 71.1 percent of deaths occurring at 65 years and over. Main causes of cancer death for males were cancer of the trachea, bronchus and lung, cancer of the colorectum and anus, and prostate cancer. For females, cancer of the breast, cancer of the trachea, bronchus and lung, and cancer of the colorectum and anus were the most common causes of cancer death.
Deaths from cancer – numbers, rates and percentages by age group, 2001.
Age group in years | Males | Females | ||||
Number | Crude rate per 100,000 of population at ages given | Percentage of total male cancer deaths | Number | Crude rate per 100,000 of population at ages given | Percentage of total female cancer deaths | |
Under 5 | 6 | 4.2 | 0.1 | 6 | 4.4 | 0.2 |
5–14 | 13 | 4.2 | 0.3 | 14 | 4.8 | 0.4 |
15–24 | 26 | 9.6 | 0.6 | 16 | 6.1 | 0.4 |
25–44 | 121 | 21.6 | 2.9 | 174 | 29.2 | 4.8 |
45–64 | 948 | 223.3 | 22.8 | 951 | 219.5 | 26.1 |
65 and over | 3052 | 1515.0 | 73.3 | 2483 | 958.5 | 68.1 |
Total: | 4166 | 218.6 | 100.0 | 3644 | 184.0 | 100.0 |
| Source: ‘Mortality and Demographic Data 2001’. For further information, contact inquiries@nzhis.govt.nz. For more detailed statistics on cancer deaths, see the NZHIS publication series ‘Mortality and Demographic Data’. | ||||||
Deaths from cancer at selected sites – numbers and rates by sex, 1999–2001.*
Cancer site (and ICD code) | Sex | No. of deaths | Age-standardised rates per 100,000 population | ||||
1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | ||
| Trachea, bronchus and lung (C33–C34) | Male: | 874 | 860 | 841 | 32.9 | 31.7 | 30.1 |
Female: | 569 | 546 | 594 | 19.3 | 17.4 | 19.1 | |
Total: | 1443 | 1406 | 1435 | 25.2 | 23.8 | 23.9 | |
| Colorectum and anus (C18–C21) | Male: | 580 | 571 | 606 | 22.5 | 20.9 | 22.1 |
Female: | 557 | 563 | 571 | 16.8 | 16.4 | 15.8 | |
Total: | 1137 | 1134 | 1177 | 19.4 | 18.4 | 18.6 | |
| Breast (C50) (female only) | Female: | 647 | 622 | 615 | 22.7 | 21.1 | 20.4 |
| Ovary (C56) | Female: | 170 | 179 | 175 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 5.4 |
| Prostate (C61) | Male: | 552 | 594 | 592 | 18.5 | 19.5 | 18.9 |
| Stomach (C16) | Male: | 206 | 186 | 195 | 8.0 | 6.7 | 7.0 |
Female: | 128 | 123 | 108 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 2.9 | |
Total: | 334 | 309 | 303 | 5.6 | 4.9 | 4.8 | |
| Leukaemia (C91–C95) | Male: | 159 | 166 | 136 | 6.3 | 6.4 | 5.1 |
Female: | 107 | 96 | 116 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 3.5 | |
Total: | 266 | 262 | 252 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.2 | |
| Pancreas (C25) | Male: | 149 | 168 | 137 | 5.5 | 6.2 | 4.9 |
Female: | 149 | 144 | 148 | 4.5 | 4.1 | 4.2 | |
Total: | 298 | 312 | 285 | 4.9 | 5.1 | 4.5 | |
| Oesophagus (C15) | Male: | 113 | 127 | 136 | 4.3 | 4.6 | 4.7 |
Female: | 59 | 60 | 76 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 1.8 | |
Total: | 172 | 187 | 212 | 2.8 | 2.9 | 3.1 | |
| Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (C82–C85+C96) | Male: | 181 | 163 | 170 | 7.2 | 5.9 | 6.2 |
Female: | 146 | 102 | 130 | 4.5 | 3.0 | 3.5 | |
Total: | 327 | 265 | 300 | 5.8 | 4.3 | 4.8 | |
| Hodgkin’s disease (C81) | Male: | 9 | 5 | 9 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.4 |
Female: | 6 | 3 | 4 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.2 | |
Total: | 15 | 8 | 13 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.3 | |
| Brain (C71) | Male: | 130 | 128 | 130 | 5.9 | 5.5 | 5.8 |
Female: | 75 | 101 | 95 | 2.7 | 3.9 | 3.7 | |
Total: | 205 | 229 | 225 | 4.2 | 4.7 | 4.7 | |
| Melanoma (C43) | Male: | 146 | 155 | 156 | 5.8 | 6.1 | 5.9 |
Female: | 85 | 98 | 88 | 2.9 | 3.3 | 2.7 | |
Total: | 231 | 253 | 244 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 4.2 | |
| Cervix uteri (C53) | Female: | 71 | 66 | 63 | 2.7 | 2.5 | 2.1 |
| Bladder (C67) | Male: | 114 | 103 | 112 | 4.0 | 3.5 | 3.6 |
Female: | 54 | 56 | 64 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.3 | |
Total: | 168 | 159 | 176 | 2.5 | 2.2 | 2.3 | |
| Corpus uteri & uterus part unspecified (C54–C55) | Female: | 73 | 91 | 83 | 2.1 | 3.0 | 2.6 |
| Kidney and other unspecified urinary organs (C64) | Male: | 97 | 80 | 100 | 3.9 | 2.9 | 3.7 |
Female: | 71 | 52 | 51 | 2.1 | 1.5 | 1.6 | |
Total: | 168 | 132 | 151 | 2.9 | 2.1 | 2.6 | |
| All causes of cancer | Male: | 4063 | 4120 | 4166 | 153.9 | 150.7 | 149.5 |
Female: | 3611 | 3500 | 3644 | 114.7 | 108.1 | 109.0 | |
Total: | 7674 | 7620 | 7810 | 131.1 | 126.2 | 125.9 | |
| * Note: these rates have been age-standardised to Segi’s world population. In keeping with Statistics New Zealand policy, the populations used in this table are estimated mean usually resident population figures. Previously, Statistics New Zealand populations related to the de facto population. For this reason, rate information in this table may differ slightly from the rate information previously published by NZHIS. Source: 1999–2001 published data. For further information, contact inquiries@nzhis.govt.nz. For more detailed statistics on cancer, see the NZHIS publication series ‘Cancer: New Registrations and Deaths’ and ‘Mortality and Demographic Data’. | |||||||
Registrations of new cancer cases
Cancer registrations for selected sites – numbers and rates by sex, 1999–2001.*
Cancer site (and ICD code) | Sex | No. of registrations | Age-standardised rates per 100,000 population | ||||
1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | ||
| Trachea, bronchus and lung (C33–C34) | Male: | 941 | 949 | 882 | 36.0 | 35.5 | 31.9 |
Female: | 585 | 650 | 647 | 20.3 | 22.3 | 21.5 | |
Total: | 1526 | 1599 | 1529 | 27.3 | 28.2 | 26.0 | |
| Colorectum and anus (C18–C21) | Male: | 1308 | 1243 | 1324 | 51.8 | 47.4 | 48.9 |
Female: | 1246 | 1269 | 1300 | 40.0 | 40.7 | 39.3 | |
Total: | 2554 | 2512 | 2624 | 45.5 | 43.8 | 43.7 | |
| Breast (C50) (female only) | Female: | 2235 | 2306 | 2310 | 87.6 | 89.4 | 86.6 |
| Ovary (C56) | Female: | 308 | 289 | 300 | 12.0 | 10.8 | 11.2 |
| Prostate (C61) | Male: | 2590 | 3045 | 3046 | 98.2 | 117.1 | 113.8 |
| Stomach (C16) | Male: | 252 | 216 | 229 | 9.7 | 8.1 | 8.1 |
Female: | 135 | 143 | 149 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 4.4 | |
Total: | 387 | 359 | 378 | 6.6 | 6.1 | 6.0 | |
| Leukaemia (C91–C95) | Male: | 289 | 363 | 363 | 12.5 | 15.6 | 15.0 |
Female: | 196 | 239 | 266 | 7.1 | 8.6 | 9.3 | |
Total: | 485 | 602 | 629 | 9.6 | 11.9 | 12.0 | |
| Pancreas (C25) | Male: | 162 | 159 | 159 | 6.3 | 5.8 | 6.0 |
Female: | 129 | 167 | 147 | 3.9 | 5.0 | 4.0 | |
Total: | 291 | 326 | 306 | 5.0 | 5.4 | 4.9 | |
| Oesophagus (C15) | Male: | 147 | 146 | 143 | 5.7 | 5.5 | 5.2 |
Female: | 76 | 79 | 75 | 2.1 | 2.0 | 1.9 | |
Total: | 223 | 225 | 218 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.5 | |
| Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (C82–C85+C96) | Male: | 336 | 302 | 335 | 13.9 | 12.0 | 12.8 |
Female: | 250 | 259 | 290 | 8.7 | 8.9 | 9.4 | |
Total: | 586 | 561 | 625 | 11.2 | 10.3 | 11.0 | |
| Hodgkin’s disease (C81) | Male: | 37 | 40 | 38 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 1.8 |
Female: | 28 | 34 | 50 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 2.3 | |
Total: | 65 | 74 | 88 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 2.1 | |
| Brain (C71) | Male: | 141 | 155 | 146 | 6.4 | 7.0 | 6.4 |
Female: | 96 | 98 | 108 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.6 | |
Total: | 237 | 253 | 254 | 5.2 | 5.5 | 5.5 | |
| Melanoma (C43) | Male: | 783 | 818 | 869 | 32.6 | 33.6 | 34.8 |
Female: | 719 | 842 | 888 | 27.9 | 32.2 | 32.7 | |
Total: | 1502 | 1660 | 1757 | 29.9 | 32.6 | 33.6 | |
| Cervix uteri (C53) | Female: | 222 | 205 | 189 | 9.2 | 8.5 | 7.9 |
| Bladder (C67) | Male: | 410 | 407 | 436 | 15.7 | 14.7 | 15.1 |
Female: | 149 | 169 | 150 | 4.3 | 5.1 | 4.2 | |
Total: | 559 | 576 | 586 | 9.5 | 9.4 | 9.1 | |
| Corpus uteri & uterus part unspecified (C54–C55) | Female: | 316 | 281 | 311 | 11.8 | 10.6 | 11.5 |
| Kidney and other unspecified urinary organs(C64) | Male: | 237 | 203 | 217 | 9.5 | 8.1 | 8.4 |
Female: | 147 | 111 | 133 | 5.5 | 3.9 | 5.0 | |
Total: | 384 | 314 | 350 | 7.3 | 5.9 | 6.6 | |
| All causes of cancer | Male: | 8927 | 9468 | 9563 | 354.1 | 370.4 | 362.3 |
Female: | |||||||