§ Mr. SheermanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what reasons underlay the decision not to refer to deaths caused by colorectal cancer in her paper the "The Health of the Nation"; and how many deaths occurred in each of the last five years from this form of cancer.
§ Mr. SackvilleThe Government's objective is a reduction in mortality and morbidity caused by all cancers. Although colorectal cancer is a major cause of premature death or avoidable ill health, it has not—unlike breast, cervical, skin and lung cancer—been possible to identify a procedure which is both effective and measurable. The value of effective screening for colorectal cancer is therefore still uncertain, although the potential of such a programme remains under review.
Deaths occurring in England and Wales from malignant neoplasma of the colon and rectum are shown in the table:
Colon Rectum, Rectosigmoid Junction and Anus 1988 11,494 5,756 1989 11,626 5,756 1990 11,527 5,696 1991 11,386 5,685 1992 11,781 5,622