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Breast Screening Aotearoa says if Maori women can be encouraged to get their breasts screened at the same rate as other groups, they could benefit from similar reductions in cancer deaths.
A new study has found the rate of death from breast cancer among women who have been screened is a third lower then that of women never screened by the programme.
Clinical leader Marli Gregory says the rate is even lower for women who get screened regularly.
She says the participation rate of Maori women in the breast screening programme remains lower than for other New Zealand women, and they have a higher rate of developing breast cancer and dying from it.
But the study conducted by the University of New South Wales on behalf of the National Screening Unit confirmed the death rate for that group would drop if the participation rate rose.
Breast Screening Aotearoa encourages women aged 45-69 to screen regularly.
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