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Govt launch plans to fight cancer

THE Government has launched a cradle-to-the-grave action plan to combat cancer with $40 million of funding in its first year.

The five-year national strategy aims to reduce the number of New Zealanders who die from cancer by improving prevention, treatment and co-operation in the health sector.

Cancer kills 7500 people each year - 29 per cent of all deaths - and the toll is expected to rise to about 9000 by 2012.

The $40 million in funding is in addition to cancer control initiatives already under way.

Health Minister Annette King said cancer needed to be tackled on all fronts, and the new funding ranged from prevention projects in early childhood, to treatment and, where necessary, to services for the dying.

The first phase for the next one to two years includes:

* $6.4 million in prevention projects, including free fruit in some primary schools.

* $6 million extra for palliative care, support and rehabilitation.

* $5.3 million for treatment services, including an extra $4 million to boost access to cancer drugs and allow Pharmac to buy new drugs.

* $4.3 million in research and workforce planning.

* $2.2 million for quit-smoking programmes.

Another $13.2 million already announced will be used to widen the age range covered by breast cancer screening and to evaluate a colorectal screening policy.

Hospice New Zealand president Dalton Kelly said the organisation was "extremely grateful" for the $6 million funding for palliative care, support and rehabilitation. The cash injection would help remedy the under-funding of hospices.

"The number of people trying to access palliative care has increased enormously in recent years."

Judi McBride-Wilson, spokeswoman for lobby group Cancer Voices, said the group "absolutely endorsed" the extra funding for palliative care and treatment services and applauded the increased funding for research and development. "But we'd like to see it greatly increased."

Researched Medicines Industry chairwoman Pippa MacKay said extra funding for cancer medicines was good news but she was concerned that Pharmac's proposal to control spending for cancer treatments in hospitals from July could threaten patients' access to vital drugs.