Dr. Aroha Tane

Dr. Aroha Tane (Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāpuhi) is a medical oncologist at Middlemore Hospital, one of New Zealand's busiest public hospitals and the primary oncology referral centre for South Auckland. With 15 years of experience in medical oncology, Dr. Tane has developed a dual focus on delivering high-quality cancer care to her patients and advancing health equity outcomes for Māori and Pacific cancer patients.

Dr. Tane is Clinical Lead for Breast Cancer at Middlemore Hospital and co-chairs the Māori and Pacific Cancer Equity Working Group within Te Whatu Ora — Counties Manukau. Her practice encompasses the full range of systemic therapies including chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy for solid tumours.

A committed academic clinician, Dr. Tane holds a research appointment with the University of Auckland's Department of Oncology and has been awarded a PhD in cancer epidemiology examining inequities in cancer stage at diagnosis and treatment access for Māori women. She is a strong proponent of culturally responsive cancer care and engages with whānau-centred approaches in her clinical practice.

Dr. Tane completed her MBChB at the University of Otago's Dunedin School of Medicine, where she was among the first cohort of graduates to complete the Māori Health undergraduate programme. She undertook basic physician training at Middlemore Hospital before completing advanced medical oncology training through the RACP, earning her FRACP.

Her PhD in Cancer Epidemiology at the University of Auckland examined disparities in breast cancer screening uptake and stage at diagnosis among Māori and Pacific women in New Zealand. She has completed additional training in geriatric oncology through the International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG) and a visiting fellowship at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne, Australia.

Dr. Tane's primary clinical focus is medical oncology for breast and colorectal cancers, including the initiation and monitoring of chemotherapy, targeted agents (such as trastuzumab, pertuzumab, and CDK4/6 inhibitors), and immunotherapy (pembrolizumab, nivolumab). She manages patients with metastatic disease, coordinating multidisciplinary care with surgical oncology, radiation oncology, palliative care, and allied health.

Dr. Tane has expertise in the management of breast cancer in younger women and the specific challenges of cancer diagnosis during pregnancy. She actively enrols eligible patients in clinical trials and has been a site principal investigator for several New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation-supported trials.

Dr. Tane has published over 35 peer-reviewed articles in journals including the New Zealand Medical Journal, Asia-Pacific Journal of Clinical Oncology, and JAMA Oncology. Her research programme focuses on cancer health equity, Māori cancer outcomes, and barriers to clinical trial participation for indigenous populations.

She holds a Health Research Council of New Zealand (HRC) Māori Health Research grant and has contributed to the New Zealand Cancer Action Plan as an expert adviser. She co-authored the updated New Zealand Breast Cancer Guidelines and presents regularly at the Clinical Oncology Society of Australia (COSA) Annual Scientific Meeting and international breast cancer symposia.

Dr. Tane has considerable experience with Pacific island patients — particularly from Samoa, Tonga, Tokelau, and the Cook Islands — who travel to New Zealand for oncology care not available in their home countries. She provides culturally responsive consultations and can engage with Pacific community health workers to support patients and their families throughout treatment.

Video consultations are available to support treatment planning discussions with patients before they travel, and Dr. Tane's team can coordinate with oncology nurses in Pacific nations to facilitate monitoring and communication during ongoing treatment. Middlemore Hospital's Pacific Health team provides additional wraparound support for Pacific patients.

Dr. Tane has received the Health Research Council Māori Research Excellence Award, the Counties Manukau Health Innovation in Equity Award, and the COSA Future Leader Award. She was appointed to the New Zealand Health and Disability Commissioner's advisory panel on equitable access to cancer medicines and received the Te Ara Tika Award for Māori leadership in health from the New Zealand Medical Association.