UPDATED 7:48am: A new study suggests New Zealand is lagging behind in diagnosis and treatment of cancer, compared to Australia and internationally.

The research is from Auckland University and is published in the New Zealand Medical Journal.

It compares the survival of cancer patients diagnosed between 2006 and 2010 in New Zealand and Australia, where similar data and health care systems operate.

Cancer survival was found to be lower in this country than across the Tasman, with five-year relative survival at 4.2 percent lower for women and 3.8 percent lower for men.

In New Zealand, the difference for all cancer combined equates with about 364 deaths each year for women and 341 for men.

Professor Mark Elwood led the research.

He says the lower survival in New Zealand than in Australia is seen for most cancers, including for the leading causes of cancer death - lung and colorectal cancers.

He says this suggests a health system issue, rather than a biological or treatment issue specific to certain types of cancer.

Professor Elwood says the demonstration of these substantial survival deficits compared to a neighbouring country should stimulate both local and national, clinical and health management, attention and actions.

Better survival rates lie with GPs

The Cancer Society says the path to better survival rates lies with GPs.

Cancer Society chief executive Claire Austin says people need to see their GP sooner.

She says what often happens is people present with much more severe symptoms, making them harder to treat successfully.

Claire Austin says a national bowel cancer screening programme is also absolutely necessary.