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A quarter of southern cancer patients are missing the faster cancer treatment target to start treatment within two months.
That performance, which ranks the southern health district fourth-lowest in the 20 health districts in New Zealand, has been revealed in a Te Aho o Te Kahu, Cancer Control Agency report released to the Otago Daily Times.
The region’s performance is better at hitting the target for a first specialist appointment within a month, southern matching the national average of 86%.
Nationally, new registrations of cancer cases had risen 9% compared to the average in May 2018-19, that being before the advent of Covid-19: clinicians have long predicted that cancer cases would increase because of cancer testing largely being deferred, especially during the first pandemic lockdown.
Medical oncology first specialist assessments increased by 2% compared to the same period three years ago, and intravenous chemotherapy increased by 10%.
Radiation oncology first specialist appointments increased by 6% for 2022 to date compared to 2018-19, but radiation therapy attendances and completed radiation therapy courses both decreased by 11%.
"Overall, there is evidence of some downturns in delivery of some services, and these downturns are likely to be the result of the impact of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic on the normal delivery of care, with the added impact of other illnesses such as influenza," the report said.
"Te Aho o Te Kahu acknowledges the ongoing pressures on the cancer care system at this time, in particular on the cancer workforce due to staff illness and capacity issues as a result of Covid-19 and other illnesses."
The fact that many 2022 results compared favourably to those from three years ago suggested that cancer care staff were working diligently to ensure the continuation of cancer care, the report said.
Radiation oncology treatment waiting lists have steadily crept up in the South in recent months and were at 132 people as at the end of June, not far off the record of 157 reached two years ago.
That peak resulted in the cancer control agency stepping in to help the then Southern District Health Board to manage waiting lists: a fortnight ago Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand chief executive Margie Apa said that those numbers were worrying and "top of our concerns".
Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand — Southern has said its waiting lists are within acceptable standards.
The agency’s report also details how many patients had received a range of cancer diagnostics or treatments for the first six months of 2022 compared to 2018-19.
It said that southern clinicians had performed 29% more gastrointestinal endoscopy examinations, radiation oncology first specialist assessments were up 11%, and haematology first specialist assessments were up 34%, although they involved a small number of patients.
However, medical oncology first assessments were down slightly (2%), and more than 1000 fewer patients received intravenous chemotherapy in 2022 compared to three years ago.
Numbers were also down on bronchoscopy (down 23%), mastectomy (down 26%), and colorectal cancer surgery (down 26%), although again that involved a small number of patients.
mike.houlahan@odt.co.nz