HC Deb 12 July 2000 vol 353 cc573-4W
Helen Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what estimate he has made of the number of cancers attributable since 1970 to the use of Thorotrast; [128327]

(2) what advice his Department has given to health authorities and trusts since 1970 on tracing patients exposed to Thorotrast; and if he will make a statement; [128326]

(3) what research his Department has commissioned since 1970 on the long-term effects of Thorotrast upon patients. [128328]

Ms Stuart

[holding answer 5 July 2000]: We are not aware of any advice that this Department has given to health authorities and National Health Service trusts on tracing patients exposed to Thorotrast since 1970.

No estimate is available of the numbers of cancers attributable to Thorotrast since 1970.

The Department has not commissioned any research specifically on the long-term effects of Thorotrast since 1970

Thorotrast was first used in 1928 and discontinued in 1955. It has not been used in the United Kingdom and the NHS since 1955.

It is not known how many patients were exposed to Thorotrast between 1928 and its discontinuation in 1955 and no estimate of the number of cancers attributable to the use of Thorotrast is available. We are not aware of any formal programme for tracing patients exposed to Thorotrast. It is not known how many people alive today may have been exposed to Thorotrast four to seven decades ago.