Cost seen as barrier for Maori health

Maori people's poorer cancer survival compared with other groups may be partly explained by cost and cultural barriers, a Massey University study suggests.

About 38 per cent of Maori patients were still alive five years after being diagnosed with cancer, compared with 53 per cent of Pakeha and others who were neither Maori nor Pacific.

The gap remained similar even when the earlier death of Maori from causes other than cancer was taken into account.