A group of experts are looking to turn around New Zealand’s lagging cancer survival rates.

Auckland University recently launched its new Department of Cancer Sciences, in the first step of eventually creating our first comprehensive cancer centre.

The university’s Department of Cancer Sciences head, Dr Ben Lawrence, says the country can do better in treating cancer and providing clinical care for impacted individuals.

“I think what we have to recognise is that it wasn’t that long ago when our cancer outcomes were the same as Australia’s, but over the last 20 years, they’ve unfortunately drifted apart.”

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