§ Mr. Owenasked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science if he will state the number of persons suffering from cancer during the years 1950 and 1960; what steps are being taken to combat this disease; what Government grant is made for cancer research; and whether he is satisfied with progress.
§ Mr. Denzil FreethNo statistics are available on the total number of persons suffering from cancer in any one year. About 100,000 new cases were registered 93W in 1960 by the National Cancer Registration Scheme. The scheme has gradually extended in coverage in the last 15 years or so and for this reason the 57,000 or so new registrations in 1950 are not strictly comparable with those for last year.
Facilities for treatment are constantly being improved particularly in the field of surgery, radio-therapy and chemotherapy. In addition, diagnosis is taking place earlier as a result of improved public awareness, encouraged by health authorities and other bodies.
The Medical Research Council are supporting an extensive research programme and propose to spend about £780,000 from public funds in the current financial year. Considerable research is also undertaken in University Departments and teaching hospitals supported from block grants by the University Grants Committee, as well as within the National Health Service in the normal course of treatment of patients, but I cannot give a reliable estimate of the total expenditure on cancer research from all these sources.
There can be no satisfaction until the problems of cancer have been solved, but progress continues to be made in knowledge of the causes of the disease and methods of treating certain of its forms.