The Breast Cancer Foundation NZ urges the government to fund additional treatments for early-stage breast cancer, cautioning that without immediate steps, more Kiwis will progress to advanced, untreatable stages.
This call stems from a major recent report by the charity, Rethinking Advanced Breast Cancer: Evidence, Experience and Opportunities in Aotearoa New Zealand. The report spotlights ongoing inequities faced by those with advanced breast cancer (ABC, or stage 4/metastatic breast cancer).
Women in Aotearoa are surviving longer with ABC, but the latest research reveals these gains aren’t shared equally—particularly as triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains one of the most aggressive and high-risk subtypes.
The findings show TNBC makes up 15% of advanced diagnoses (versus 11% of early-stage cases) and advances to stage 4 about a year faster than other common breast cancer subtypes.
Given TNBC’s aggressive nature, the limited access to publicly funded treatments in New Zealand is highly alarming, robbing many patients of their best shot at long-term survival.
“We’ve seen welcome progress in the funding of medicines for advanced breast cancer, but early-stage triple-negative breast cancer is still an area of urgent need,” Ah-Leen Rayner, chief executive of Breast Cancer Foundation NZ, said.
“Funding treatment to reduce the risk of triple negative breast cancer progressing to an incurable stage will not only save lives, it also makes economic sense.”
“When breast cancer is treated early and effectively, people can continue working, supporting their families, and contributing to their communities.”
Keytruda, the sole targeted immunotherapy for TNBC, is currently available in more than 40 countries.
New Zealand has publicly funded Keytruda since October 2024 for those with advanced TNBC, but it remains unavailable for earlier-stage patients—where it could stop the cancer from turning incurable.
Keytruda for early-stage TNBC sits on Pharmac’s Options for Investment list, eligible for funding if an extra budget emerges—yet it competes with over 100 other medicines awaiting approval.