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Ethnic differences in disease presentation of uterine cancer in New Zealand women
  1. Ridvan Tupai Firestone1,
  2. Lis Ellison-Loschmann2,
  3. Andrew N Shelling3,
  4. Alec Ekeroma4,
  5. Bettina A Ikenasio-Thorpe5,
  6. Neil Pearce6,
  7. Mona Jeffreys7
  1. 1Research Fellow, Centre for Public Health Research, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand
  2. 2Research Fellow, Centre for Public Health Research, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand
  3. 3Associate Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
  4. 4Head of Department, Pacific Women's Health Research and Development Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
  5. 5Lead Researcher, Pacific Health Research and Development Foundation/Pacific Women's Health Research and Development Unit, Auckland, New Zealand
  6. 6Professor, Centre for Public Health Research, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand
  7. 7Senior Lecturer, Department of Social Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
  1. Correspondence to Dr Ridvan Tupai Firestone, Centre for Public Health Research, Massey University, Private Box 756, Wellington, New Zealand; R.T.Firestone{at}massey.ac.nz

Abstract

Objectives Little is known about the ethnic differences in disease presentation of uterine cancer in New Zealand women. The objectives of this study were two-fold: (1) to estimate the incidence and mortality of uterine cancer among women in New Zealand and (2) to examine the association of ethnicity and socioeconomic status with tumour stage and grade, at presentation of uterine cancer.

Methods Retrospective survey of cancer cases identified from the New Zealand Cancer Registry. The authors analysed all 3203 uterine cancer cases registered with the New Zealand Cancer Registry during the period 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006. Ethnic groups were defined based on the self-identified ethnicity recorded on the cancer registry: Ma–ori, Pacific and non-M–aori non-Pacific women. Socioeconomic status was categorised as quintiles of the New Zealand Deprivation Index 2006. The mortality to incidence ratio was used as a measure of prognosis. Logistic regression was used to estimate age, ethnic and deprivation adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results Pacific and M–aori women have higher incidence (32.4 and 17.7 per 100 000 women, respectively) and mortality rates of uterine cancer (12.1 and 7.4 per 100 000 women, respectively). Women in the most deprived areas are more likely to present with an advanced stage of uterine cancer (OR 1.64, 95% CI 1.09–2.48). M–aori and Pacific women are less likely to present with well-differentiated tumours (OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.52–0.92 and OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.52–0.99, respectively).

Conclusions M–aori and Pacific women, and those from lower socioeconomic areas, are more likely to present with advanced uterine cancer.

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Footnotes

  • Competing interests None.

  • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

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