CHRIS JACKSON

Cancer doctor

For Chris Jackson, who wears many health hats, including that of medical director of the Cancer Society, an upbringing that showed him the value of service was what led him to a life focused on the victims of the disease.

Most Kiwis will be affected by cancer in some way. They might receive the unwelcome diagnosis themselves, or support a loved one in that situation. It may be a relative, a friend, or a colleague. Every day, 60 people are told they have the disease.

New Zealand’s cancer statistics are sobering. Ministry of Health data shows that of 31,796 deaths recorded in 2015, 9615 were caused by cancer. Cases of melanoma and colorectal cancer are among the highest in the world and, despite nationwide screening programmes, about 600 women develop terminal breast cancer each year.

But Jackson points to an upside. Although it may be the country’s single biggest killer, he says more people are surviving the disease than ever before,

The 41-year-old is a consultant medical oncologist at Dunedin Hospital, where he specialises in gastro-intestinal, melanoma and urological cancers. He also has a leadership role in Cancer Trials New Zealand and cofounded the Mercy Cancer Care Unit, providing specialist oncology services to the lower South Island.

Having treated thousands of patients with a range of cancers, he is positive about the nation’s long-term prognosis. ‘‘Cancer is the single biggest cause of death in New Zealand but there are a lot of things we can all do,’’ he says. ‘‘The 15 per cent of people who smoke need to join the 85 per cent of people who don’t. We all need to make sure we are SunSmart, and not just on a sunny day at the beach. We need to moderate how much alcohol we drink, eats lots of fruit and veg and make sure we get at least three hours of exercise every week.’’

Born in Oamaru, Jackson attended Waitaki Boys’ High School and the University of Otago, after deciding in his teens he wanted to become a doctor.

He attributes his desire to work in the community to his upbringing. ‘‘I came from a family of teachers and one thing that was instilled in me was the need to serve. I wanted to be a doctor since I was a teenager but I didn’t know any other doctors, apart from our family doctor.

‘‘It was five years after graduating that I thought about palliative medicine. I found a culture that I loved – centred on patient care – with a dedicated team and the most resilient and inspiring patients. The environment drew me in and I’ve never looked back since.’’

In addition to his hospital role, Jackson also works at the University of Otago’s Centre for Translational Cancer Research.

He divides his time between teaching medical students and collaborating with labbased scientists researching the genetic aspects of cancer, treatment and toxicity.

As a lecturer at Dunedin School of Medicine, he says the environment and teaching style differ from his days as an undergraduate. ‘‘When I was studying it was a lot more hierarchical. Things are still very professional now but they are a lot more informal too.

‘‘It’s good to have a balance in your working life. I enjoy working with students. I try to help them to think about the role and the personal and psychological impact they will have as doctors. In oncology, just as with other fields of medicine, you see things that have not been done well and it’s good to help students not to make the same mistakes.’’

Jackson spent more than two years working at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London, the first in the world dedicated to the study and treatment of cancer.

The experience enabled him to bring vital knowledge back to New Zealand. ‘‘I learned a lot there, especially in terms of research and looking to the future,’’ he says. ‘‘It was a very advanced hospital. The science and imaging used was very advanced. But also the culture.’’

There were more oncologists in that one hospital than in the whole of New Zealand. ‘‘I think I learned how to treat cancer at the Royal Marsden but in New Zealand I learned how to treat patients.’’

In 2015 he was appointed medical director of the Cancer Society of New Zealand. The national charity is fully funded by donations and among its many fundraising drives is Daffodil Day, which took place yesterday. It helps finance vital research into the causes and treatment of cancer.

At the time of his 2015 appointment, he said: ‘‘The Cancer Society is a leading body in the cancer sector and has an outstanding track record of leadership in research, and in supportive care for patients and their families.’’

He hit the headlines in 2016 when he wrote an open letter to Pharmac, the government’s drug-buying agency, calling for an Early Access to Medicines Scheme, to allow potentially lifesaving treatments to be administered to cancer patients more quickly.

‘‘Pharmac can take years to announce funding, or sometimes only a few weeks. The lack of certainty does nothing to help people affected by cancer today and does not help providers plan for the arrival of new treatments. Patients don’t have time to ‘take a number and wait’ for Pharmac to work through its committees.’’

Despite also being chair of the South Island Bowel Cancer and the Colorectal Cancer Tumour Standards working groups, and a member of the National Bowel Cancer Work group, Jackson says the time spent with patients remains the highlight of his career.

‘‘I’ve been involved at national policy level, improving access to drugs and other services, but they pale in significance compared to the personal moments. They have the greatest impact.

‘‘I think about the times spent with a patient and when you speak to them later and they tell you that you helped them through a difficult time. They are the moments you remember.’’

When not treating patients, teaching students or leading trials into the latest cancer care, his free time is spent at home with wife Rachel and their three children. ‘‘I love to cook and do the dinner most nights,’’ he says. ‘‘I also like to exercise when I can, to get out and enjoy the great Otago outdoors.’’

Like most Kiwis, cancer has also had an impact on him personally but he is optimistic a cure for the disease will one day be found.

‘‘I have been personally affected by cancer. It wasn’t why I wanted to be a doctor, but yes, I have known people who have had it. I’ve had the privilege of treating my former teachers and other people from the community I know

. . . It’s something that affects all of us.’’

Nationally work is under way to reduce the number of cancer-related deaths.

Campaigns like SunSmart and the Ministry of Health’s Eating for Healthy Adults initiative have been launched to educate New Zealanders about preventive measures.

Smokefree 2025 aims to reduced the number of New Zealand smokers to less than 5 per cent of the population within the next seven years. Smoking currently claims the lives of 5000 Kiwis every year, with specific groups particularly at risk.

Government figures reveal that smokingrelated deaths are highest among Ma¯ ori and Pacific Island communities, while Ma¯ ori women have among the highest lung cancer rates in the world.

But there is hope. Within five years of quitting cigarettes a person’s risk of developing lung cancer almost halves, and within a decade the risk is similar to that of a non-smoker.

‘‘A lot of us are guilty of drinking a bit too much or not getting enough exercise but cutting down on the ciggies would make a real difference,’’ Jackson says.

‘‘One-third of people diagnosed with cancer will succumb to the disease, but despite the fact that cancer is more prominent, the chances of being cured are better than ever before.’’

‘‘I think I learned how to treat cancer at the Royal Marsden but in New Zealand I learned how to treat patients.’’