§ Mrs. FyfeTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has for(a) breast cancer care and treatment and (b) research into the genetics of breast cancer; and how much will be spent on each this year and is planned in succeeding years.
§ Mr. StewartThe Scottish figures for morbidity arid mortality associated with cancer in general and breast cancer in particular are a matter of concern to the Government. It was with that specific concern in mind that we established the Scottish breast cancer screening programme in 1988. The primary target of the programme is to reduce mortality in the screened population in Scotland by 30 per cent. overall. By next year all Scottish women between the ages of 50 and 64 will have been invited for screening.
This is only one strategy in the fight against breast cancer. The work of the Scottish Cancer Therapy Network established by the Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Office Home and Health Department is geared to the delivery to patients of the most effective and up-to-date treatment. The network will be setting up a working party to look specifically at breast cancer. Both the network arid the Scottish cancer co-ordinating and advisory committee are looking at service provision in relation to all types of cancer. The committee has established a clinical arid molecular genetics sub-committee to look at the possibility of identifying a gene responsible for the commonest forms of cancer, including breast cancer. The breast screening programme is organising a consensus conference in April next year on the treatment of small tumours. This will encourage dissemination of best practice in relation to breast and other types of cancer.
Total funding of the breast cancer screening programme is £3.8 million in 1993–94. A total figure for expenditure on all aspects of breast cancer care and treatment is not held centrally.
The Chief Scientist Office is funding a number of research projects concerned with the genetic aspects of breast cancer. Funding in the current financial year amounts to some £72,000 and in 1994–95 will total £95,000. A number of other projects are under consideration for future years, but no firm figure for funding is available at this stage.
§ Mrs. Ray MichieTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what investigations have been carried out regarding the validity of creating breast cancer treatment teams operating in hospitals.
§ Mr. Stewart[holding answer 22 October 1993]: The treatment of any condition is a matter for the judgement of 621W the clinicians involved. The team approach has evolved in all of the specialist breast clinics in Scotland as that which provides the optimum care of patients. I am not aware of any independent investigation of the validity of this approach. Both the Scottish cancer co-ordinating and advisory committee and the Scottish cancer therapy network are, however, considering service provision and can therefore be expected to examine this approach to treatment. A further opportunity will be provided by a consensus conference in April next year on the treatment of small tumours.
§ Mrs. Ray MichieTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what funding is available for breast cancer research in Scotland; and if he will give details of each project and details of the funding of each since 1980.
§ Mr. Stewart[holding answer 22 October 1993]: The Government are committed to encouraging research into breast cancer. The main Government agency for medical and related research is the Medical Research Council (MRC), which receives its grant-in-aid from the Office of Science and Technology under my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. I understand that MRC expenditure into breast cancer was £2.7 million in 1990–91 and £1.6 million in 1991–92, the latest years for which figures are available.
The Chief Scientist Office (CSO) of the Scottish Office has identified cancer services as one of its priority areas and has, since 1980, funded a wide range of research and development projects dealing with breast cancer at a total cost of £0.729 million. The projects funded by CSO are shown in the table.
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R and D projects on breast cancer funded by Chief Scientist Office (1980–93) Year and project £s 1981 Women's reasons for declining an opportunity for breast screening 6,677 1982 Development of telediaphanography 1,933 An economic analysis of screening for breast cancer 27,821 The prediction of response to systemic treatment in patients with advanced cancer of the breast 51,711 1983 Edinburgh Breast Cancer Screening Project 123,783 1985 Maintenance of special pathological services for breast cancer screening pathology 100,000 Bile acids and bile acid metabolites in the serum of women with benign and malignant breast disease 11,299 Steriod receptor assays: current role in the therapy of breast cancer and influence of methodical developments 30,920 1986 Economic evaluation of mobile breast cancer screening in areas near Edinburgh 26,612 A study of women's response to mobile breast screening 10,338 The relationship of cellular DNA to response in breast cancers treated with hormones 14,702
Year and project £s 1987 Follow-up study to measure the impact of services for the early detection of breast cancer on breast cancer mortality 7,728 1990 UKCCCR breast cancer screening trials 139,000 1991 Potential of immediate specimen—slice ranography to optimise pathological data in breast-conserving cancer therapy 13,361 1992 Molecular pathology of cytochrome P450 in breast cancer and other malignant tumours 64,971 Ultrasound imaging in the symptomatic breast clinic: diagnostic management and psychological impact 4,775 Second round mamographic screening: will tailored invitations increase uptake? 14,588 1993 Genetic analysis in families with breast and/or ovarian cancer in the West of Scotland 78,551 Total 728,770