Hundreds of Kiwis have received taxpayer-funded payouts after their cancer was misdiagnosed or not diagnosed quickly enough.

Over the past five years, more than $15 million has been given to cancer suffers in compensation. 

One of those suffers is mother-of-two, Toni Adie-Kinraid, whose doctor didn't act on symptoms which could have helped her avoid terminal bowel cancer.

At only 37-years-old, Adie-Kinraid now only has months to live.

She told Mike Hosking she visited the doctor several times over a number of years but was never sent for any cancer screening.

Instead, she said she was told to try everything else under the sun.

"Hemorrhoids, eat differently, try this, try that, irritable bowel, we will see how things go, this medication, that medication."

Aide-Kinraid said in 2016 she tried to get a colonoscopy but wasn't able to.

She said she wasn't aware of the compensation until ACC rung her late last year.

"I just got a phone call to say this is what is happening, we hope that it helps and it was in my bank account."

She said the money doesn't really help.

"I suppose it helps a bit financially but overall not really."

The doctor sent her a "naive" apology letter a few days ago, Aide-Kinraid said.

She said bowel screening should be easily available to everybody regardless of age, ethnicity, weight.

"If you have got any form of symptoms that the GP is scratching their head, be able to have some testing done."