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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 data-enquiries@moh.govt.nz. For more detailed statistics on cancer deaths, see the NZHIS publication series ‘Mortality and Demographic Data’.
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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 data-enquiries@moh.govt.nz. For more detailed statistics on cancer, see the NZHIS publication series ‘Cancer: New Registrations and Deaths’ and ‘Mortality and Demographic Data’.
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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:
7863
8232
8350
286.3
295.1
289.5
Total:
16,790
17,700
17,913
314.0
327.3
320.5
* Note: these rates have been age-standardised to Segi’s world population.
Source: 1999, 2000 and 2001 published data, NZHIS. For further information, contact data-enquiries@moh.govt.nz.

 top of page. Cancer registrations for selected sites, by sex and age, 2003.* (Provisional data – all cases identified solely from death certificates have yet to be included.)
Total
Age-standardised rate per 100,000 population
Age in years at registration
0–
5–
10–
15–
20–
25–
30–
35–
Colorectum and anus (C18–C21)
Total:
2641
42.0
0
0
0
1
4
3
9
32
Male:
1349
47.5
0
0
0
1
3
0
2
12
Female:
1292
37.2
0
0
0
0
1
3
7
20
Melanoma of skin (C43)
Total:
1842
33.6
0
0
1
12
31
41
68
84
Male:
955
35.8
0
0
0
5
10
9
20
41
Female:
887
32.0
0
0
1
7
21
32
48
43
Female breast (C50)
Female:
2297
80.9
0
0
0
0
2
7
60
91
Cervix uteri (C53)
Female:
179
7.1
0
0
0
0
2
11
20
23
Prostate (C61)
Male:
2660
96.9
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Trachea, bronchus and lung (C33–C34)
Total:
1670
27.8
0
0
0
1
0
0
3
13
Male:
952
32.8
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
5
Female:
718
24.1
0
0
0
1
0
0
3
8
Leukaemia (C91–C95)
Total:
720
12.8
18
12
14
5
9
8
8
12
Male:
420
15.6
8
4
6
4
1
4
3
7
Female:
300
10.3
10
8
8
1
8
4
5
5
Age in years at registration
40–
45–
50–
55–
60–
65–
70–
75–
80–
85+
Colorectum and anus (C18–C21)
Total:
36
86
143
205
285
371
485
417
331
233
Male:
16
46
78
118
159
213
261
214
143
83
Female:
20
40
65
87
126
158
224
203
188
150
Melanoma of skin (C43)
Total:
134
154
192
182
169
177
204
178
109
106
Male:
64
62
102
107
90
103
131
109
62
40
Female:
70
92
90
75
79
74
73
69
47
66
Female breast (C50)
Female:
189
272
315
305
257
181
189
156
156
117
Cervix uteri (C53)
Female:
27
18
21
14
15
10
9
2
3
4
Prostate (C61)
Male:
8
47
135
284
418
535
499
397
212
125
Trachea, bronchus and lung (C33–C34)
Total:
28
63
119
130
228
253
302
290
160
80
Male:
11
19
54
69
112
148
194
179
108
53
Female:
17
44
65
61
116
105
108
111
52
27
Leukaemia (C91–C95)
Total:
21
24
46
54
78
78
92
96
78
67
Male:
15
14
28
41
53
44
54
59
46
29
Female:
6
10
18
13
25
34
38
37
32
38
* Note: these rates have been age-standardised to Segi’s world population using the estimated resident population as at 31 December 2003.
Source: 2003 provisional data, NZHIS. For further information, contact data-enquiries@moh.govt.nz.


 top of page. Trends in cervical cancer registrations, by ethnicity 1990–2003 (provisional).*
Year
Māori
Pacific
peoples
Other
Not
stated
Total
1990
45
18
174
0
237
1991
48
15
203
0
266
1992
37
14
172
0
223
1993
33
17
188
0
238
1994
46
5
161
0
212
1995
30
15
172
0
217
1996
42
9
160
0
211
1997
44
7
154
0
205
1998
29
10
161
0
200
1999
40
5
173
2
220
2000
38
6
161
0
205
2001
32
7
155
0
194
2002
32
8
144
0
184
2003
29
13
135
2
179
* Data for 2001, 2002 and 2003 is provisional, and may be subject subject to change.
(For further information, contact data-enquiries@moh.govt.nz.)
The data presented in this table has been re-extracted from the database and may differ from that in the publication Cancer: New Registrations and Deaths.
Note that the definition of ethnicity used by the Cancer Registry Act changed in July 1996, so registrations from 1996 onwards may not be comparable with those from 1995 and earlier.


Trends in cervical cancer registrations, by ethnicity, numbers and rates 1990–2003 (provisional).*
Year
Number
Age-standardised rate per
100,000 female population
Māori
Non-Māori
Total
Māori
Non-Māori
Total
1990
45
192
237
-
-
11.9
1991
48
218
266
-
-
13.2
1992
37
186
223
-
-
11.0
1993
33
205
238
-
-
11.6
1994
46
166
212
-
-
9.9
1995
30
187
217
-
-
9.8
1996
42
169
211
20.9
8.6
9.7
1997
44
161
205
18.3
7.2
8.4
1998
29
171
200
11.7
7.8
8.2
1999
41
179
220
15.9
8.2
9.1
2000
43
161
204
15.2
7.5
8.5
2001
31
158
189
11.8
7.5
7.9
2002
34
147
181
13.2
6.3
6.9
2003
29
148
177
10.6
6.6
7.0
* Data for 2003 is provisional, and may be subject to change.
(For further information, contact data-enquiries@moh.govt.nz.)
The data presented in this table has been re-extracted from the database and may differ from that in the publication Cancer: New Registrations and Deaths.
Note that the definition of ethnicity used by the Cancer Registry Act changed in July 1996, so registrations from 1996 onwards may not be comparable with those from 1995 and earlier.
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