§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys' recent publication, "Socio-demographic Differences in Cancer Survival 1971–83"; and what action he proposes to take on behalf of the various groups of people identified as being more prone to cancer and less likely to survive it.
§ Mr. FreemanThe report gives a valuable and detailed analysis of differences in cancer mortality between social groups which will be studied with interest by our expert advisers. It suggests that these differences are more likely to be attributable to variations in the incidence of cancer than in its treatment. The Government attach great importance to securing both reductions in incidence and improvements in survival for all groups, through comprehensive programmes of prevention, including health education and screening, and by encouraging equality of access to high-quality services.
§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he proposes to take to increase the number of women attending for mammographs; and whether he has any plans to make more effective the breast cancer screening programme.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyTake-up among those invited for screening is an essential factor in the achievement of an effective screening programme. A number of initiatives have been undertaken to educate and encourage women to respond positively to their invitations. The programme is funding four cancer screening development workers' posts in districts with multi-ethnic populations to examine the acceptability of breast screening to women in these groups and find out whether any special approach is required. The Cancer Research Campaign is conducting a study into attendance and non-attendance of those invited for screening and how take-up might be encouraged by primary health care teams. The breast screening research sub-committee of the United Kingdom co-ordinating committee on cancer research has set up a working group to review and co-ordinate existing studies into acceptability and to stimulate new research in this area. The Health Education Authority has conducted research, produced leaflets and other forms of information on the programme and supported local health education initiatives. We also728W encourage women's voluntary organisations to promote the programme and to encourage their members to take up their screening invitations when they receive them.