30 Jul 2018

More NZers surviving melanoma - study

From Morning Report, 6:17 am on 30 July 2018

A New Zealand skin cancer specialist says improved access to advances in treatment mean fewer are dying from it. A new global skin cancer study confirms New Zealand's place at the top of the list for new cases of the disease. It also shows patients in this country are less likely than most to die from it, because of our comparitively high rate of health care spend. Oncologist Rosalie Stephens told our reporter Tracy Neal the introduction of immunotherapy drugs have led to more people surviving secondary melanoma, and more advances are on the way.