The epidemiology of breast cancer in Maori women in Aotearoa New Zealand: implications for ethnicity data analysis.

Abstract

Using four different estimates to assign ethnicity confirms previous findings showing poor quality of ethnicity data in routinely collected datasets. Future calculations of breast cancer incidence and mortality rates should assign total and sole ethnicity and reduce ethnicity misclassification by using NZCMS or ever Maori-adjusted estimates. This paper supports the need to collect better quality ethnicity data in order to identify and monitor Maori vs non-Maori cancer inequalities.