Kanisa (Cancer)

Ko e ha e kanisa? (What is cancer?)

Ko e kanisa ‘oku ne uesia e kakai kehekehe mei he kakai lalahi ‘o a’u ki he fānau īiki pea ‘oku tupu ia he taimi ‘oku ‘ikai malava ai ‘e he ngaahi kupu e sino ke ne ta’ota’ofi ‘e ne feliunga’aki. Ko e taimi ‘oku motu’a ai pe maumau e ngaahi kupu īiki ‘o e sino, ‘oku fakatupu ai ‘e he sino e ngaahi kupu īiki fo’ou ke fetongi’aki, ka ‘oka pau ‘oku ‘ikai lava ke ta’ota’ofi, ko e ngaahi kupu īiki ‘oku maumau ‘e malava ia ke feliunga’aki ‘o hoko koe kanisa pea mofele ki he ngaahi konga kehe he sino ‘o fakatupu palopalema. Ko e ngaahi liliu fakafokifa ‘I he DNA ‘oku malava ia ke ne fakatupu e kanisa pea ko e kanisa ‘oku malava pe ia ke hoko ‘I ha kupu pe ‘o e sino. 

Cancer is a problem that affects people of all ages and ethnicities and occurs when cells of our body grow uncontrollably. When cells of our body become old and damaged, they die and new cells grow in their place; however, if this process is uncontrolled, damaged cells may grow uncontrollably as cancers and spread to other parts of our body where they can become life threatening. Changes or damage to our genetic make-up or DNA can cause the development of cancers and can take place almost anywhere in our body.

‘Oku fēfē e uesia e kakai Māori mo Pasifiki he kanisa? (How does cancer affect Māori and Pacific people?)

Ko e kanisa ko e palopalema lahi ia ki he kakai Māori mo Pasifiki I Aotearoa. Ko e ngaahi komiuniti ko’eni ‘oku lahi ange ‘a e tu’unga ‘oku ‘i ai e kanisa ‘a e ma’ama’a, huhu, kōloni pe ngākau lahi, taungafanau, ‘ate pea mo e penikilasi (pancreas) ‘o fakatatau ki he ngaahi matakali kehe. ‘Oku lahi foki mo e ngaahi kanisa ‘oku mate vave ange ai e kakai Māori mo Pasifiki ‘o fakatatau ki he kakai Papālangi mo ‘Esia ‘I Aotearoa. ‘Oku fai e ngaue mālohi ke solova e ngaahi palopalema ko’eni ‘i he ngaahi fakatotolo ‘oku fakahoko.

Cancer poses a significant problem for Māori and Pacific people in Aotearoa. These communities have higher rates of lung, breast, colorectal, endometrial, liver and pancreatic cancers compared to other ethnicities. With many types of cancer, Māori and Pacific people are more likely to die earlier compared to European and Asian populations in Aotearoa. We are working hard to try and address some of these inequities through our research.

Ko e ha e ngaue ‘a e Maurice Wilkins Centre ‘oku fai ki hono fakafepaki’i e kanisa? (What is the Maurice Wilkins Centre doing to combat cancer?)

‘Oku mau fekumi ki he tupu’anga ‘o e ngaahi kanisa pea fekumi ki ha ngaahi founga fo’ou ke fai hono faito’o, ‘o ‘i ai e tokanga makehe ki he kupu malu’i e sino (immune system) ke tokoni ki hono fakafepaki’i e kanisa. ‘Oku mau fekumi ki he makatu’unga e kanisa, fa’u ha ngaahi sivi fo’ou pea mo fekumi ki hono ngāohi vave ha ngaahi huhu malu’i ke fakatautefito ki he ngungu ‘o e tokotaha ko ia, ke fakatupu ha faito’o ke ne kouna e kupu malu’i e sino ke ne kumi ‘o tamate’i e kanisa. Ko e fekau’aki e ngaahi mala’e kehekehe ‘i he fekumi ko’eni ‘oku fakahā ‘i he whakataukī “Kimihia katoa, Nga putake o te kaupapa, ina, I kitea, kimihia Te Rongo” ‘a ia ‘oku liliu ko e “fekumi ki he ngaahi tapa kotoa ‘o e faingata’a, he ‘e mahino mai mei ai hono solova’anga”. ‘Oku ‘i ai e kau saienisi fakatotolo Māori mo Pasifiki ‘oku nau lolotonga kau he fekumi ko’eni ki he ngaahi faikehekehe ‘I he kupu iiki ‘o e DNA ‘oku fekau’aki mo e ngaahi mahaki kehekehe ‘o kau ai e kanisa, ke ma’u ha founga tauhi mahaki ‘e fe’unga ki he tokotaha tāutaha. Ko e ngaahi fekumi ‘o e Maurice Wilkins Centre ‘oku taumu’a ia ke ne pukepuke ‘a e Te Tiriti pe ko e totonu ‘a e Māori ‘i he mo’ui lelei mo hono ngaahi fekumi kae pehe foki ki he ngaahi palopalema fakamo’ui lelei ‘oku fetaulaki mo e kakai Māori mo Pasifiki ‘i he kanisa.

We are investigating the cause of various cancers and finding new ways to treat them, with a special focus on how the body’s immune system can help fight cancers. We research the biological basis of cancer, generate new diagnostic tests, research how we can rapidly make vaccines against each patient’s individual tumours and generate new treatments to help the immune system seek out and destroy cancers. This multi-disciplinary approach to cancer research is expressed in the whakataukī “Kimihia katoa, Nga putake o te kaupapa, ina, I kitea, kimihia Te Rongo”, which can be translated as “Search out all facets of the challenge, therein lies the understanding that provides your solution”. There are a number of Māori and Pacific scientists currently researching unique adaptations in Māori and Pacific genes that may be associated with different diseases including cancer to try and find tailored approaches for better treatment. The research efforts of the Maurice Wilkins Centre aim to address Te Tiriti rights of Māori in health and health research as well as some of the health inequities faced by Māori and Pacific people with cancer.