Treatment delay for Māori women with breast cancer in New Zealand

Abstract

This study shows that significant inequities in timely access to surgical treatment for breast cancer exist in NZ, with Māori and Pacific women having to wait longer to access treatment than NZ European women. Overall, a high proportion of women did not receive surgical treatment for breast cancer within the guideline limit of 31 days. Urgent steps are needed to reduce ethnic inequities in timely access to breast cancer treatment, and to shorten treatment delays in the public sector for all women.