A study suggests the patterns of testicular cancer in New Zealand are different to those in the rest of the developed world.
Wellington-based researchers found Maori were more likely to have testicular cancer than European, Asian and Pacific New Zealanders and that men from lower socio-economic groups were also more likely to be affected.
This is the opposite to findings from other developed countries, where wealthy white men tend to have the highest rates of the cancer.
Diana Sarfati of the University of Otago says she is confident in the results, which link census data to cancer registry data from 1981 to 2001.
"They may give us a clue as to the etiology of testicular cancer becuase we are finding something that's quite different to the rest of the world."
Dr Safarti says more research is needed.
