A summary of key findings about cancers and nutrition Cancer and Nutrition in New Zealand

Cancer registrations have increased from 10,000 in 1986 to 16,000 in 1995, an increase of nearly 60 percent. Some of the increase, however, is due to changes in the Cancer Registry, which took effect in 1994. In 1997 cancers of the lung, large bowel, and prostate were responsible for most cancer deaths among men. For women, cancers of the breast, lung and large bowel were the most common causes of cancer deaths.1,2 Cancer is responsible for more than a quarter of all deaths in New Zealand and the number of new cases of some cancers is increasing. Breast Cancer In 1997, 620 women died as a result of breast cancer (an age-standardised rate of 23.2 deaths for every 100,000 people).2 Among the established risk factors for breast cancer is age, with 70 % of cases being in women over 50. Family history, earl