Cancer Treatment (Hansard, 18 July 2003)

§ Mr. Baron
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to improve the treatment of less common cancers in the NHS. [127017]
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§ Miss Melanie Johnson
The NHS Plan set out the intention to make available authoritative guidance on all aspects of National Health Service Cancer Care. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) was therefore asked to build on the existing cancer service guidance programme, established following the publication of the Calman-Hine report in 1995, by commissioning a comprehensive package of guidance for cancer services covering all cancers.
The guidance programme initially focused on the three commonest forms of cancer (breast, colorectal and lung cancer). Subsequent reports have focused on groups of cancer (gynaecological, upper gastrointestinal and urological) which taken together account for substantial numbers of cases, but which may individually be relatively uncommon.
A report on haematological cancers is due to be published shortly. Guidance covering other rarer cancers, including sarcoma, head and neck, brain and central nervous system and skin cancers, along with child and adolescent cancers are also planned.
In addition to the 'Improving Outcomes' series of guidance, NICE has appraised or are appraising, a number of chemotherapy drugs, including drugs for less common cancers such as gemcitabine for pancreatic cancer and glivec for gastro intestinal stromal tumours.

§ Mr. Baron
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what drugs are being used and being tested in the treatment of(a) childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, (b) acute myelogenous leukemia, (c) chronic lymphocytic leukemia, (d) esophageal cancer, (e) osteosarcoma, (f) pancreatic cancer, (g) retinoblastoma, (h) sarcoma, (i) stomach cancer, (j) thyroid cancer and (k) Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia. [127021]

§ Miss Melanie Johnson
Information on drugs currently licensed for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, acute myelogenous leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, esophageal cancer, osteosarcoma, pancreatic cancer, sarcoma, stomach cancer, thyroid cancer and Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia, has been placed in the Library.
There are no drugs specifically licensed for the treatment of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia or of retinoblastoma, also a cancer of childhood. Decisions on the drugs used to treat these cancers will a matter for the individual clinicians and funding authorities concerned.
The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulation Agency (MHRA) is the competent authority for medical devices and the licensing authority for pharmaceuticals and one of its key activities is the regulation of clinical trials. However, MHRA are not able to provide details regarding products in clinical trials as information is provided to MHRA in confidence and cannot be disclosed.