Cancer risk for Maori

Maori cancer patients are nearly twice as likely to die from the disease as non-Maori patients and they are not diagnosed fast enough, a Wellington School of Medicine report shows.

Associate Health Minister Mita Ririnui said the report's findings were a wake-up call.

"Growing evidence indicates that disparities in cancer outcome has less to do with the biological aspects of the disease and much more to do with the type and timeliness of care that people do or do not receive," he said.