University of Auckland Establishes New Department of Cancer Sciences, Advancing Vision for Comprehensive Cancer Centre
Key Insights
The University of Auckland has launched a new Department of Cancer (search) Sciences, uniting researchers, clinicians, and educators across disciplines to create one of New Zealand's most comprehensive cancer-focused academic communities.
Cancer (search) is the leading cause of death in New Zealand, with cases projected to rise from approximately 30,000 annually to more than 45,000 by 2044 due to population growth and ageing.
The department brings together the Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre (search), the Department of Oncology, and Cancer Trials New Zealand (search), with plans for a purpose-built comprehensive cancer (search) centre integrating research and clinical care under one roof.
The University of Auckland has established a new Department of Cancer (search) Sciences, a major institutional step that consolidates leading researchers, clinicians, and educators into what the university describes as one of New Zealand's most comprehensive cancer-focused academic communities. The move advances the university's long-term vision of a comprehensive cancer centre for the country.
The new department connects expertise across the full cancer (search) pathway, spanning prevention, laboratory discovery, clinical treatment, survivorship, and evidence-informed health policy. It brings together the Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre (search) (ACSRC), the Department of Oncology, and Cancer Trials New Zealand (search), with additional cancer researchers expected to join from across the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, the Faculty of Science, and throughout the university.
A Growing National Burden
Cancer (search) is the leading cause of death in New Zealand. According to the Cancer Control Agency, the country currently records approximately 30,000 cases annually, a figure projected to exceed 45,000 by 2044 due to population growth and ageing. New Zealand also has one of the highest rates of cancer incidence globally, ranking second only behind Australia.
The Case for Integration
Professor Lawrence, the inaugural head of the department, emphasized that clinical care improves in settings where research is actively conducted. "We know that clinical care is better in places that do research," Lawrence said. "It's hard to know exactly what it is, but it's probably because people are on the cutting edge. They have some hope that they can change the future, and the patients feel that."
Lawrence, who has spent time overseas at Yale University and elsewhere, noted that New Zealand has fallen behind in certain aspects of cancer (search) care and research. "I think in life, it's never one thing, and in cancer care and cancer research, it's never one thing," he said. "We need to bring population health, lab scientists, drug discovery, clinical trials all together. And that's what other centres can do overseas."
There are roughly 30 comprehensive cancer (search) centres worldwide, Lawrence noted, with hundreds more operating in fields that function separately but in tandem. The university's vision involves a purpose-built facility where health professionals, researchers, and cancer patients coexist under one roof. "You can't beat being in the same place, bumping into the same people when you come out of clinic and you've got a problem that you can't solve, and the scientist is there and you can talk to them about it, and then they can go away and try to solve those problems," Lawrence said. "That's the heart of a comprehensive cancer centre; better care, better understanding of cancer, put them together and you get better outcomes for patients."
Measurable Progress and Future Infrastructure
New Zealand increased cancer (search) cure rates by 10% between 2000 and 2020, a gain Lawrence attributed largely to new knowledge generated through research and improvements in healthcare delivery. Looking ahead, Lawrence pointed to the aging cancer building at Auckland Hospital, which Health New Zealand (search) is planning to replace. "That would be a great time to add research into that building," he said.
Lawrence described the planning process for the dedicated cancer (search) centre as requiring significant time, care, and collaboration. He also emphasized the importance of a distributed model anchored by a central hub. "You don't really want everybody driving into the middle of Auckland every day to get their cancer care," he said. "You want to have a mothership which runs that, which is a cancer centre."
Educational Mission
Beyond research and clinical integration, the Department of Cancer (search) Sciences will teach across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, supporting the development of future researchers, clinicians, policymakers, advocates, and innovators working in cancer care and research. The department builds on a distinguished legacy of cancer research at the university, particularly through the Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre (search), which was established in 1956 through a community-funded partnership between the University of Auckland and Cancer Society Auckland Northland and became internationally recognised for its contributions to cancer discovery and drug development.