§ Lord Morris of ManchesterHer Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2 October (WA 203), what information they have on differences in the rates of incidence of, and mortality from, prostate cancer in differing racial groups in the area of each National Health Service Trust; which three areas had the highest rates, at the latest date for which figures are available, and which three the lowest rates; which racial group appears to have the highest risks; what research on this issue has been publicly funded; and what further research is planned; and [HL4197]
What comparative information they have from other countries on differences in the rates of incidence of, and mortality from, prostate cancer in differing racial groups. [HL4198]
§ Lord Hunt of Kings HeathThe Office of National Statistics publishes data on cancer mortality and incidence. These data cannot however be broken down by ethnic group. Centrally collected Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data only provide information about treatment, and the data on ethnic groupings are unreliable.
At the Government's request, the Cancer Research Funders Forum (CRFF) made prostate cancer one of its first priorities. The CRFF commissioned a review of prostate cancer, which was published in October 2000. The review refers to research on variations in incidence and mortality from prostate cancer among ethnic groups. Work on United Kingdom ethnic minority groups shows that mortality is raised in Caribbean and West African migrants. In North America the mortality rate in African Americans is twice as high as in white Americans. Asian immigrants to the United States of America have a low incidence of prostate cancer, whilst Asians raised to adulthood 21WA in the USA are closer to that country's higher risk, thereby suggesting that environmental factors may influence incidence.
The Government are committed to increasing their funding for cancer research and by 2003 will be investing an additional £20 million each year in the infrastructure for cancer research, and an extra £4 million on prostate cancer research.