Honouring Dr Malcolm Legget

Honouring a Legacy: Malcolm Legget MNZM and His Transformative Impact on NET Cancer Care

The 2025 New Year Honours list acknowledges the incredible achievements of our beloved former Trustee, Associate Professor Malcolm Legget.

Malcolm has been posthumously appointed to be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

The citation says he is being honoured for his contributions to cardiology and for his work in cancer treatment and research for NETs.

It is unusual for a person to receive a posthumous award, though not unheard of. The citation says King Charles and the New Zealand government signed off the awards before Malcolm died in November.

The award points out what all of us in the neuroendocrine NZ community know; that Malcolm did so much for neuroendocrine cancer care in New Zealand.

The honours list reads that he “made a significant contribution to cardiology and cancer treatment and research, ensuring access to world leading treatments is available through New Zealand’s public health system… Following his diagnosis with Neuroendocrine cancer (NET) in 2011, he became a leader in ensuring the best treatments possible for NET are available to all New Zealanders.”

When faced with his own diagnosis in 2011, Malcolm could have focused on himself and his own family to make the best life he could for the duration of his cancer. But instead he focused on transforming neuroendocrine cancer (NET) treatment in New Zealand. Malcolm felt so lucky to be able to access treatments overseas to extend his own life, and he was determined that all New Zealanders living with NETs deserved the same chance.

His achievements for our community include spearheading efforts to set up state of the art neuroendocrine cancer diagnostics in Auckland and bringing PRRT treatment to New Zealand. He raised more than $2 million for research and brought leading specialist Dr Ben Lawrence home from the USA.

Malcolm cared about people with NETs and generously shared his knowledge. He was a deeply talented man who applied every ounce of those talents to improve NET cancer care for all Kiwi patients.

And on top of all this he laughed easily, cared deeply and had a fierce and abiding love for his wife Carrie and their children George, Harry and Emelia.

The Board and CEO of Neuroendocrine Cancer NZ - past and present – acknowledge that Malcolm’s appointment as a Member of the NZ Order of Merit is particularly bittersweet. We wish our humble hero was still here so we could celebrate with him.

CEO Michelle Sullivan says everyone is glad of the recognition but saddened Malcolm is not here to celebrate with us.

NOTE: Work is underway to establish a fund to honour Malcolm and provide much needed research into NETs treatments. More details will be released in the next few weeks.

Read the NZ Herald obituary here: Associate Professor Dr Malcolm Legget - 'No Ordinary New Zealander'