Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Cancer in Pacific people in New Zealand

  • Original paper
  • Published:
Cancer Causes & Control Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

To describe cancer incidence rates among Pacific people living in New Zealand from 1981 to 2004.

Methods

Linked census-cancer registration data were used to calculate age-standardized cancer incidence rates for Pacific people. Both trends over time within Pacific people and differences in rates between Pacific and European/Other people in New Zealand were assessed.

Results

Pacific rates were higher for cancers of the cervix, endometrium, gallbladder, lip, mouth and pharynx, liver, lung, ovary, pancreas, stomach, and thyroid, and lower for colorectal, bladder, and testicular cancers and melanoma. Differences were large, ranging from a 90 % lower rate of melanoma to over seven times higher rate of liver cancer compared to European/Other. Breast and prostate cancers were the commonest malignancies for Pacific women and men, respectively. Important changes for Pacific women over time include a 64 % decrease in cervical cancer incidence (ptrend = 0.02) and a 245 % increase for lung cancer (ptrend = 0.02), while men had a 366 % increase in prostate cancer (ptrend = 0.02).

Conclusions

Pacific people in New Zealand have a disproportionate cancer burden related to infectious diseases such as HPV and Hepatitis B. However, with escalating evidence for causal associations between diabetes, obesity, and physical inactivity with various cancers, the challenge will be to prevent these cancers from rising in Pacific people who have the highest rates of these conditions in New Zealand. Disparities for tobacco-related cancers support tobacco consumption as another important cause of cancer incidence disparity. Continued efforts are needed to reduce infectious disease and improve screening program uptake among Pacific people.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Medical Council of New Zealand (2010) Best outcomes for Pacific peoples: practice implications. Wellington, New Zealand

    Google Scholar 

  2. Foliaki S, Pearce N (2003) Prevention and control of diabetes in Pacific people. BMJ 327(7412):437–439

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Tukuitonga C (2011) Pacific peoples in New Zealand. In: St George I (ed) Cole’s Medical Practice in New Zealand, 10th edn. Medical Council of New Zealand, Wellington, pp 61–67

  4. Tobias M, Yeh L (2009) How much does health care contribute to health gain and to health inequality? Trends in amenable mortality in New Zealand 1981–2004. Aust N Z J Public Health 33:70–78

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Blakely T, Tobias M, Atkinson J, Yeh L-C, Huang K (2007) Tracking disparity: trends in ethnic and socioeconomic inequalities in mortality, 1981–2004. Ministry of Health, Wellington

    Google Scholar 

  6. Shaw C, Atkinson J, Blakely T (2009) (Mis)classification of ethnicity on the New Zealand Cancer Registry: 1981–2004. N Z Med J 122(1294):10–22

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Kost ER, Hall KL, Hines JF, Farley JH, Nycum LR, Rose GS, Carlson JW, Fischer JR, Kendall BS (2003) Asian-Pacific Islander race independently predicts poor outcome in patients with endometrial cancer. Gynecol Oncol 89:218–226

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Miller BA, Chu KC, Hankey BF, Ries LAG (2008) Cancer incidence and mortality patterns among specific Asian and Pacific Islander populations in the US. Cancer Causes Control 19:227–256

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Dachs GU, Currie MJ, McKenzie F, Jeffreys M, Cox B, Foliaki S, Le Marchand L, Robinson BA (2008) Cancer disparities in indigenous Polynesian populations: Maori, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific people. Lancet Oncol 9:473–484

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Blakely T, Shaw C, Atkinson J, Cunningham R, Sarfati D (2011) Social inequalities or inequities in cancer incidence? Repeated census-cancer cohort studies, New Zealand 1981–1986 to 2001–2004. Cancer Causes Control 22:1307–1318

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Atkinson J, Shaw C, Blakely T, Stanley J, Sloane K (2010) Linkage of census and cancer registrations, 1981–2004. CancerTrends Technical Report 1. University of Otago, Wellingtonhttp://www.otago.ac.nz/wellington/research/hirp/projects/otago020023.html

  12. Blakely T, Shaw C, Atkinson J, Tobias M, Bastiampillai N, Sloane K, Sarfati D, Cunningham R (2010) CancerTrends: trends in cancer incidence by ethnic and socioeconomic group, New Zealand 1981–2004. University of Otago, and Ministry of Health, Wellington. http://www.otago.ac.nz/wellington/research/hirp/projects/otago020023.html

  13. R Development Core Team (2011) R: a language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna

    Google Scholar 

  14. International Agency for Research on Cancer (2004) Tobacco smoke and involuntary smoking. IARC Monogr Eval Carcinog Risks Hum 83:1–1438

    Google Scholar 

  15. Sherman ME, Devesa SS (2003) Analysis of racial differences in incidence, survival, and mortality for malignant tumors of the uterine corpus. Cancer 98:176–186

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Wright JD, Fiorelli J, Schiff PB, Burke WM, Kansler AL, Cohen CJ, Herzog TJ (2009) Racial disparities for uterine corpus tumors. Changes in clinical characteristics and treatment over time. Cancer 115:1276–1285

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Setiawan VW, Pike MC, Kolonel LN, Nomura AM, Goodman MT, Henderson BE (2007) Racial/ethnic differences in endometrial cancer risk: the multiethnic cohort study. Am J Epidemiol 165:262–270

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Voskuil DW, Monninkhof EM, Elias SG, Vlems FA, van Leeuwen FE, Task Force Physical Activity and Cancer (2007) Physical Activity and Endometrial Cancer Risk, a Systematic Review of Current Evidence. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 16(4):639–648

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Terry P, Baron JA, Weiderpass E, Yuen J, Lichtenstein P, Nyren O (1999) Lifestyle and endometrial cancer risk: a cohort study from the Swedish Twin Registry. Int J Cancer 82:38–42

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Ministry of Health (2008) A portrait of health: key results of the 2006/07 New Zealand health survey. Ministry of Health, Wellington

    Google Scholar 

  21. Vainio H, Bianchini F (eds) (2002) Weight control and physical activity: IARC handbooks of cancer prevention. IARC press, Lyon

    Google Scholar 

  22. Olsen CM, Green AC, Whiteman DC, Sadeghi S, Kolahdooz F, Webb PM (2007) Obesity and the risk of epithelial ovarian cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur J Cancer 43:690–709

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Weiderpass E, Ye W, Vainio H, Kaaks R, Adam H (2002) Diabetes mellitus and ovarian cancer (Sweden). Cancer Causes Control 13:759–764

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. La Vecchia C, Negri E, Franceschi S, D’Avanzo B, Boyle P (1994) A case-control study of diabetes mellitus and cancer risk. Br J Cancer 70:950–953

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Adami HO, McLaughlin J, Ekbom A, Berne C, Silverman D, Hacker D, Persson I (1991) Cancer risk in patients with diabetes mellitus. Cancer Causes Control 2:307–314

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. O’Mara BM, Byers T, Schoenfeld E (1985) Diabetes mellitus and cancer risk: a multisite case-control study. J Chronic Dis 38:435–441

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Olsen CM, Bain CJ, Jordan SJ, Nagle CM, Green AC, Whiteman DC, Webb PM and Australian Cancer Study (Ovarian Cancer) and Australian Ovarian Cancer Study Group (2007) Recreational physical activity and epithelial ovarian cancer: a case-control study, systematic review and meta-analysis. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 16(11):2321–2330

    Google Scholar 

  28. Whittemore AS, Harris R, Itnyre J, and the Collaborative Ovarian Cancer Group (1992) Characteristics relating to ovarian cancer risk: collaborative analysis of 12 US case-control studies. II. Invasive epithelial ovarian cancers in white women. Am J Epidemiol 136(10):1184–1203

    Google Scholar 

  29. Riman T, Nilsson S, Persson IR (2004) Review of epidemiological evidence for reproductive and hormonal factors in relation to the risk of epithelial ovarian malignancies. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 83(9):783–795

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Chionh F, Baglietto L, Krishnan K, English DR, MacInnis RJ, Gertig DM, Hopper JL, Giles GG (2010) Physical activity, body size and composition, and risk of ovarian cancer. Cancer Causes Control 21:2183–2194

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Risch HA (1998) Hormonal etiology of epithelial ovarian cancer, with a hypothesis concerning the role of androgens and progesterone. J Natl Cancer Inst 90:1774–1786

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Fathalla MF (1971) Incessant ovulation—a factor in ovarian neoplasia? Lancet 2:163

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Ministry of Social Development (2011) The social report 2010. http://socialreport.msd.govt.nz/people/fertility.html. Accessed Sept 2011

  34. Dharmalingam A, Pool I, Dickson J (2000) Biosocial determinants of hysterectomy in New Zealand. Am J Public Health 90:1455–1458

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Ministry of Health (2011) Report of the parliamentary review committee regarding the New Zealand Cervical Screening Programme, 22 June 2011. Ministry of Health, Wellington

  36. National Screening Unit (December, 2010) National Cervical Screening Programme. Monitoring Report Number 32, 1 July–31 Dec 2009. NSU

  37. Parkin DM, Bray F, Ferlay J, Pisani P (2005) Global cancer statistics, 2002. CA Cancer J Clin 55:74–108

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Shaw C, Blakely T, Sarfati D, Fawcett J, Hill S (2005) Varying evolution of the New Zealand lung cancer epidemic by ethnicity and socioeconomic position (1981–1999). N Z Med J 118(U1213):U1411 [see comment]

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Lopez AD, Collishaw NE, Piha T (1994) A descriptive model of the cigarette epidemic in developed countries. Tob Control 3(3):242–247

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. New Zealand Parliament (2011) Government response to the report of the Maori Affairs Committee on its inquiry into the tobacco industry in Aotearoa and the consequences of tobacco use for Maori (Final Response). New Zealand Parliament, Wellinton

    Google Scholar 

  41. Office of the Surgeon General (2004) The health consequences of smoking: a report of the Surgeon General. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  42. Stadtländer CTK-H, Waterbor JW (1999) Molecular epidemiology, pathogenesis and prevention of gastric cancer. Carcinogenesis 20(12):2195–2207

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. WHO (2011) Cancer. Fact sheet no. 297. February 2011. www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs297/en/. Accessed Aug 2011

  44. O’Connor F, Buckley M, O’Morain C (1996) Helicobacter pylori: the cancer link. J R Soc Med 89:674–678

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  45. Fraser AG, Ali MR, McCullough S, Haystead A (1996) Diagnostic tests for Helicobacter pylori—can they help select patients for endoscopy? N Z Med J 109:95–98

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. Fraser AG, Scragg R, Metcalf P, McCullough S, Yeates NJ (1996) Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in different ethnic groups in New Zealand children and adults. Aust N Z J Med 26:646–651

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. McCallion WA, Murray LJ, Bailie AG, Dalzell AM, O’Reilly DP, Bamford KB (1996) Helicobacter pylori infection in children: relation with current household living conditions. Gut 39:18–21

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  48. Kamangar F, Dawsey SM, Blaser MJ, Perez-Perez GI, Pietinen P, Newschaffer CJ, Abnet CC, Albanes D, Virtamo J, Taylor PR (2006) Opposing risks of gastric cardia and noncardia gastric adenocarcinomas associated with Helicobacter pylori seropositivity. J Natl Cancer Inst 98:1445–1452

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  49. Kelley JR, Duggan JM (2003) Gastric cancer epidemiology and risk factors. J Clin Epi 56:1–9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  50. Yuen MF, Hou JL, Chutaputti A, on behalf of the Asia Pacific Working Party on Prevention of Hepatocellular Carcinoma (2009) Hepatocellular carcinoma in the Asia pacific region. J Gastroenterol Hepatol 24(3):346–353

    Google Scholar 

  51. McGlynn KA, London WT (2011) The global epidemiology of hepatocellular carcinoma: present and future. Clin Liver Dis 15:223–243

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  52. Yang JD, Roberts LR (2010) Epidemiology and management of hepatocellular carcinoma. Infect Dis Clin North Am 24(4):899–919

    Google Scholar 

  53. Blakely TA, Bates MN, Baker MG, Tobias M (1999) Hepatitis B carriage explains the excess rate of hepatocellular carcinoma for Maori, Pacific Island and Asian people compared to Europeans in New Zealand. Int J Epidemiol 28:204–210

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  54. Reid S (2006) Evolution of the New Zealand childhood immunisation schedule from 1980: a personal view. N Z Med J 119(1236). http://journal.nzma.org.nz/journal/119-1236/2035/. Accessed Sept 2011

  55. Larsson SC, Wolk A (2007) Overweight, obesity and risk of liver cancer: a meta-analysis of cohort studies. Br J Cancer 97:1005–1008

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  56. Wang C, Wang X, Gong G, Ben Q, Qiu W, Chen Y, Li G, Wang L (2011) Increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies. Int J Cancer 130(7):1639–1648

    Google Scholar 

  57. Hashimoto E, Yatsuji S, Tobari M, Taniai M, Torii N, Shiratori K (2009) Hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. J Gastroenterol 44:89–95

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  58. Kawada N, Imanaka K, Kawaguchi T, Tamai C, Ishihara R, Matsunaga T, Gotoh K, Yamada T, Tomita Y (2009) Hepatocellular carcinoma arising from non-cirrhotic nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. J Gastroenterol 44:1190–1194

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  59. Farrell GC (2003) Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis: what is it, and why is it important in the Asia-Pacific region? J Gastroenterol Hepatol 18:124–138

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  60. Marrero JA, Fontana RJ, Su GL, Conjeevaram HS, Emick DM, Lok AS (2002) NAFLD may be a common underlying liver disease in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma in the United States. Hepatology 36:1349–1354

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  61. Guzman G, Brunt E, Petrovic L, Chejfec G, Layden TJ, Cotler SJ (2008) Does nonalcoholic fatty liver disease predispose patients to hepatocellular carcinoma in the absence of cirrhosis? Arch Pathol Lab Med 132(11):1761–1766

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  62. Yasui K, Hashimoto E, Komorizono Y, Koike K, Arli S, Imai Y, Shima T, Kanbara Y, Saibara T, Mori T, Kawata S, Uto H et al (2011) Characteristics of patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis who develop hepatocellular carcinoma. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 9(5):428–433

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  63. Arnold LD, Patel AV, Yan Y, Jacobs EJ, Thun MJ, Calle EE, Colditz GA (2009) Are racial disparities in pancreatic cancer explained by smoking and overweight/obesity? Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 18(9):2397–2405

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  64. Paksoy N, Bouchardy C, Parkin DM (1991) Cancer Incidence in Western Samoa. Int J Epidemiol 20(3):634–641

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  65. Moore MA, Baumann F, Foliaki S, Goodman MT, Haddock R, Maraka R, Koroivueta J, Roder D, Vinit T, Whippy HJ, Sobue T (2010) Cancer epidemiology in the Pacific Islands—past, present and future. Asian Pacific J Cancer Prev 11:99–106

    Google Scholar 

  66. Smith AH, Pearce NE, Joseph JG (1985) Major colorectal cancer aetiological hypotheses do not explain mortality trends among Maori and non-Maori New Zealanders. Int J Epidemiol 14(1):79–85

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  67. Blot WJ, Marchand LL, Boice JD, Henderson BE (1997) Thyroid cancer in the Pacific. J Natl Cancer Inst 89(1):90–91

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  68. Maso LD, Bosetti C, La Vecchia C, Franceschi S (2009) Risk factors for thyroid cancer: an epidemiological review focused on nutritional factors. Cancer Causes Control 20:75–86

    Article  Google Scholar 

  69. Brindel P, Doyon F, Rachedi F, Boissin JL, Sebbag J, Shan L, Chungue V, Sun LY, Bost-Bezeaud F, Petitdidier P, Paoaafaite J, Teuri J et al (2008) Menstrual and reproductive factors in the risk of differentiated thyroid carcinoma in native women in French Polynesia: a population-based case-control study. Am J Epidemiol 167:219–229

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  70. Brown LM, Gridley G, Pottern LM, Baris D, Swanso CA, Silverman DT, Hayes RB, Greenberg RS, Swanson GM, Schoenberg JB, Schwartz AG, Fraument JF Jr (2001) Diet and nutrition as risk factors for multiple myeloma among blacks and whites in the United States. Cancer Causes Control 12:117–125

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  71. Renehan AG, Tyson M, Egger M, Heller RF, Zwahlen M (2008) Body-mass index and incidence of cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective observational studies. Lancet 371:569–578

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  72. Sarfati D, Shaw C, Blakely T, Atkinson J, Stanley J (2011) Ethnic and Socioeconomic trends in testicular cancer incidence in New Zealand. Int J Cancer 128:1683–1691

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  73. Thomas TL, Waxweiler RJ (1986) Brain tumors and occupational risk factors. Scand J Work Environ Health 12:1–15

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  74. Grufferman S, Delzell E (1984) Epidemiology of Hodgkin’s disease. Epidemiol Rev 6:76–106

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  75. Cunningham R, Shaw C, Blakely T, Atkinson J, Sarfati D (2010) Ethnic and socioeconomic trends in breast cancer incidence in New Zealand. BMC Cancer 10:674

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  76. Weston MK, Moss DP, Stewart J, Hill AG (2008) Differences in breast cancer biological characteristics between ethnic groups in New Zealand. Breast Cancer Res Treat 111:555–558

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  77. McKenzie F, Jeffreys M, Mannetje A, Pearce N (2008) Prognostic factors in women with breast cancer: inequalities by ethnicity and socioeconomic position in New Zealand. Cancer Causes Control 19:403–411

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  78. Choi YH, Ahn JH, Kim SB, Jung KH, Gong GY, Kim MJ, Son BH, Shn SH, Kim WK (2009) Tissue microarray-based study of patients with lymph node-negative breast cancer shows that HER2/neu overexpression is an important predictive marker of poor prognosis. Ann Oncol 20:1337–1343

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  79. Waitemata DHB Hospital Advisory Committee (2011) Waitemata DHB Breastscreen Waitemata Northland (BSWN) Breastscreen Service. http://www.waitematadhb.govt.nz/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=4s9RSWmJolg%3D&tabid=312&mid=769. Accessed Sept 2011

  80. Franceschi S, Favero A, La Vecchia C, Baron AE, Negri E, Dal Maso L, Giacosa A, Montella M, Conti E, Amadori D (1996) Body size indices and breast cancer risk before and after menopause. Int J Cancer 67:181–186

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  81. Tavani A, Gallus S, La Vecchia C, Negri E, Montella M, Dal Maso L, Franceschi S (1999) Risk factors of breast cancer in women under 40 years. Eur J Cancer 35:1361–1367

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  82. La Vecchia C, Giordano SH, Hortobagyi GN, Chabner B (2011) Overweight, obesity, diabetes and risk of breast cancer: interlocking pieces of the puzzle. Oncologist 16:726–729

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  83. Sneyd MJ, Cox B, Paul C, Skegg D (2003) PSA testing and digital rectal examination in New Zealand. Aust N Z J Public Health 27:502–506

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  84. Pokorny MR, Scott DJ (2011) Do Maori and Pacific Islander men present with more advanced prostate cancer than European New Zealand men? An analysis of 486 men undergoing biopsy in Auckland. BJU Int 107(s3):27–32

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  85. Nacey JN, Morum P, Delahunt B (1995) Analysis of the prevalence of voiding symptoms in Maori, Pacific Island and Caucasian New Zealand men. Urology 46:506–511

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  86. Krieger N (2005) Defining and investigating social disparities in cancer: critical issues. Cancer Causes Control 16:5–14

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the Surgical Research Trust, Wellington, New Zealand, and the Nikau Foundation. The CancerTrends study was funded by the Health Research Council of New Zealand (06/256).

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest in relation to this article.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Public Health, Wellington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Otago, P.O. Box 7343, Wellington, New Zealand

    Ineke Meredith, Diana Sarfati, Takayoshi Ikeda & Tony Blakely

Authors
  1. Ineke Meredith
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Diana Sarfati
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Takayoshi Ikeda
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Tony Blakely
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ineke Meredith.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Meredith, I., Sarfati, D., Ikeda, T. et al. Cancer in Pacific people in New Zealand. Cancer Causes Control 23, 1173–1184 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-012-9986-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-012-9986-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation