Maki ‘Ōviri (Cancer)

‘Ea’a te maki ‘ōviri? (What is cancer?)

‘E maki manamanatā te ‘ōviri e ‘arapaki nei ‘i te tangata ‘ō te au mata’iti kātoatoa, ‘ē te au ‘iti tangata tūkētūkē, ‘ē, ‘ē tupu ana tē reira mē māriko’anga kore te tupu’anga ‘ō te au cells ‘i roto ‘i te kōpapa. Mē pakari, mē kore, mē tākinokino’ia te au cell ‘i roto ‘i te kōpapa, kā mate rātou, ‘ē kā tupu mai tēta’i au cell ‘ōu ‘i roto ‘i tē reira au ngā’i; ‘ināra, mē kā māriko’anga kore teia au ’aerenga, kā riro mai te au cells tei tupu māriko’anga kore, ‘ei au ‘ōviri, ‘ē ka toto’a ki tēta’i au tu’anga ‘ō tō tatou kōpapa, ‘i reira, ka riro mai rātou, ‘ei ‘akakino ‘i te ora’anga. Kā riro te tauī’anga, mē kore ra, te tākinokino’anga ki te tu’anga tei ma’ani ‘i tō tatou tūtū tangata, mē kore ra, DNA ‘ei ‘akatupu ‘i te au ‘ōviri, ‘ē kā tupu tē reira ‘i tēta’i ‘ua atu ngā’i ‘i roto ‘i te kōpapa.    

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.

‘E ‘akapē’ea ana te maki ‘ōviri mē arapaki ‘i te ‘iti tangata Māori ‘ē te Patipika? (How does cancer affect Māori and Pacific people?)

‘E ma’ata tā te maki ‘ōviri manamanatā e ‘akatupu ana nō te ‘iti tangata Māori ‘ē te Patipika ‘i Aotearo’a. Teitei tikāi te tūranga maki ‘ōviri ‘ō te ate, ū māmā, colorectal, endometrial, ate māmā, ‘ē te au ‘ōviri pancreatic, ‘ō teia au matakeinanga, mē ‘aka’āite’ia ki tēta’i atu au ‘iti tangata kē. Viviki atu te ‘iti tangata Māori ‘ē te Patipika ‘i te mate vave, ‘i te ma’ata’anga ‘ō te au tū ‘ōviri, mē ‘aka’āite’ia ki te au tangata Papa’ā, ‘ē te ‘Ātia ‘i Aotearo’a. Tē ‘anga’anga pakari nei mātou ‘i te tautā ‘i te ‘akatano ‘i teia au tūranga tau-kore, nā roto ‘i tā mātou kimikimi’anga.   

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.

‘Ea’a tā te Maurice Wilkins Centre ‘ē rave nei, nō te tā atu ‘anga ‘i te ‘ōviri? (What is the Maurice Wilkins Centre doing to combat cancer?)

Tē kimikimi matatio nei mātou ‘i te tumu e tupu nei teia au tū ‘ōviri tūkētūkē, ma te kimi ‘i te au rāvenga ‘ōu nō te rapakau atu ‘ia rātou, ‘ē te ‘ākara tikāi ē, ka ‘akapē’ea te tu’anga pāruru ‘ō te kōpapa ‘i te tauturu’anga ‘i te tamaki i te au ‘ōviri. Tē kimikimi nei mātou ‘i te tu’anga ‘ō te tū ‘ō te maki ‘ōviri, kā ‘anga ‘i tēta’i au ‘ākarakara’anga ‘ōu, kimikimi atu ē, ka ‘akapē’ea mātou ‘i te ‘anga viviki’anga i tēta’i au vairākau, nō te tākore atu ‘i te au maki-tupu tātakita’i, ‘ē te ‘anga ‘i tēta’i au rapakau’anga ‘ōu, ‘ei tauturu  ‘i te tu’anga pāruru ‘ō te kōpapa, ’i te kimi ‘ē te tākore atu ‘i te au maki ‘ōviri. Kua ‘akaāri pū ‘ia mai teia tū-mā’ata ‘ō te au ara ki te kimikimi’anga ‘ō te maki ‘ōviri ‘i roto ‘i teia ‘aka’aere’anga tuatua whakataukī “Kimihia katoa, Nga putake o te kaupapa, ina, i kitea, kimihia Te Rongo”, tōna ‘uri’anga, koia ‘oki, “Kimi’ia te au mea kātoatoa ‘ō te tīmata’anga, tei roto ‘i reira te mārama tē kā ‘ōronga mai ‘i te pa’u’anga meitaki.” ‘E ma’ata te nūmero ‘ō te au taunga-taiene-kite ē kimikimi nei i teianei ‘i te  tūranga tūkē ‘ō te tauī’anga ’i roto ‘i te ‘akano’ono’o’anga ‘ō te genes ‘i roto ‘i te ‘iti tangata Māori ‘ē te Papa’ā, tē ka ‘akapiri’ia ki te au tū maki tūkētūkē, ‘ē pērā te maki ‘ōviri, nō te tautā ma te kimi ‘i tēta’i au rāvenga nō te au rapakau’anga meitaki atu. Ka tautā pakari te kimikimi’anga ‘ā te Maurice Wilkins Centre, ‘i te ‘ākarakara ‘i te tika’anga o te Tirīti nō te Māori ‘i roto ‘i te tu’anga rapakau, ‘ē te kimikimi’anga o te tu’anga rapakau, ‘ē pērā katoa, tēta’i atu au tūranga tau-kore tā te ‘iti tangata Māori ‘ē te Patipika ‘e maki ‘ōviri tō rātou e kite nei.

 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 Maori 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.