Rethinking ABC

What does it take – and what does it mean – for New Zealanders to live, and live well with, advanced breast cancer (ABC)? This is the question at the heart of Rethinking Advanced Breast Cancer: Evidence, experience and opportunities in Aotearoa New Zealand, our new report examining how care, policy and practice must evolve to better support people living with ABC.

Building on our 2018 report, “I’m still here”: Insights into living – and dying – with advanced breast cancer in New Zealand, this latest research shows that while important progress has been made, it’s not reaching everyone. Serious gaps remain across the health system, leaving too many people at risk of delayed diagnosis, shortened survival, fewer treatment options and poorer quality of life.

Medical advances are increasingly improving ABC survival rates, but the health system needs to keep up. We’re inviting a shift in perspective to recognise ABC as a chronic condition that requires long-term, proactive and equitable care.

Published on World Cancer Day 2026, Rethinking ABC brings together data, clinical insight and women’s experiences to form a crucial piece of evidence for decision-makers, clinicians and others shaping the future of advanced breast cancer care in New Zealand.