§ Ms LynneTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the number of consultant radiotherapists dedicated to treating women with breast cancer within the NHS in England and Wales.
§ Mr. SackvilleThe number of consultant radiotherapists dedicated to treating women with breast cancer within the national health service in England and Wales is not known. This is because most consultant radiotherapists treat the full range of cancers. At 30 September 1991 the total number of consultant radiotherapists treating all cancers in the NHS in England and Wales was 212 whole-time equivalents.
§ Ms LynneTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women with breast cancer are treated by cancer specialists in England and Wales per year; and what comparable figures she has for France, Germany, Italy and the United States of America.
§ Mr. SackvilleThis information is not held centrally.
In 1987, the total number of newly diagnosed cases of malignant neoplasm of the female breast in England and Wales of all ages was 23,740. The treatment of breast cancer may require contributions from specialists in a number of medical fields, not all of whom would be cancer specialists.
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§ Ms LynneTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women with breast cancer in England and Wales are treated by general physicians and radiotherapists and not referred to cancer specialists.
§ Mr. SackvilleThis information is not held centrally. It is a matter for employing authorities to choose the optimum distribution between specialties of consultants in their hospitals in order to provide an appropriate service to their local population. The choice of treatment for individual patients is a matter for clinical judgment.