§ Mr. SkinnerTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list (1) the success rates for curing the most common form of childhood leukaemia in(a) the United Kingdom, (b) France, (c) Germany, (d) Italy, (e) Sweden, (f) Denmark and (g) the United States of America in the last five years for which figures are available; [58110]
(2) the success rates for curing lung cancer in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) France, (c) Germany, (d) Italy, (e) Sweden, (f) Denmark and (g) the United States of America in the last five years for which figures are available; [58100]
(3) the success rates for curing cervical cancer in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) France, (c) Germany, (d) Italy, (e) Sweden, (f) Denmark and (g) the United States in the last five years for which figures are available; [58111]
(4) the success rates for curing prostate cancer in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) France, (c) Germany,(d) Italy, (e) Sweden, (f) Denmark and (g) the United States of America in the last five years for which figures are available; [58099]
(5) the success rates for curing colon cancer in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) France, (c) Germany, (d) Italy, (e) Sweden, (f) Denmark and (g) the United States in the last five years for which figures are available; [58101]
(6) the success rates for curing breast cancer in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) France, (c) Germany, (d) Italy, (e) Sweden, (f) Denmark and (g) the United States of America in the last five years for which figures are available. [58103]
§ Ms HewittI have been asked to reply.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Director of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from Tim Holt to Mr. Dennis Skinner, dated 5 November 1998:
As Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your recent questions on success rates for treating cancer.The latest available information on the survival of cancer patients in Europe is given in "Survival of cancer patients in Europe—The EUROCARE Study" (International Agency for Research on Cancer Scientific Publications No. 132); a copy is available in the House of Commons library. Results for the United States are given on pages 188 and 189 of "Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention" (2nd edition) 683W edited by D Schottenfeld and JF Fraumeni—copies of these pages are attached and copies will be placed in the House of Commons library.Figures are not available on whether or not patients are cured—although when the relative survival curve "flattens off the patients are dying at the same rate as the general population (same age and sex). Also, for most cancers (but not breast cancer or multiple myeloma), five year relative survival rates are often taken to be 'cure' rates.