Breast Cancer (Hansard, 28 November 1995)

§ Mrs. Clwyd
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what action he is taking to initiate further research into the incidence of breast cancer in Wales; [1147]
(2) what action he is taking to ensure that all patients with breast cancer have equal access to high quality care. [1148]

§ Mr. Richards
In April, my right hon. Friend announced plans for improving cancer care services in Wales based on the report of the chief medical officers of England and Wales—"A Policy Framework for Commissioning Cancer Services".
The report recognised that it is essential for all patients with cancer, including those with breast cancer, to have access to high quality, safe and effective care.
An expert group on cancer services, chaired by Professor Ian Cameron, provost of the university of Wales college of medicine, was established earlier this year to 590W assist health authorities in Wales to implement the recommendations of the chief medical officers' report. It has already started work on identifying how effective services for all cancer patients should be provided and will report in 1996.
International comparisons suggest that differences in the rates observed between countries and regions are due to a mixture of social, environmental and genetic factors. For this reason, the Department considers that basic research into how and why breast cancer develops is more likely to be of benefit in terms of treatment and prevention than an attempt to establish why exactly breast cancer rates vary from region to region.

Mrs. Clywd
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish comparative statistics for Wales, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland on the incidence and mortality rates from breast cancer. [1144]

§ Mr. Richards
Information on deaths from cancer is published separately in the annual reports by the registrars general for Scotland and Northern Ireland, and by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys for England and Wales.
Information on cancer registrations for Scotland is given in "Cancer Registrations: Scotland", published by the Scottish Common Health Service Authority; for Northern Ireland in "Cancer Registration", published by the Department of Health and Social Security; in "Cancer Registrations: Wales", published by the Wales cancer registry; and in the series "Cancer Statistics: Registrations" by the OPCS.
Copies of these publications are available in the Library of the House.