§ Mr. PawseyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many specialist breast cancer units there are; what are their locations; and what plans there are to increase their number.
§ Mr. SackvilleInformation is not available centrally on the number or location of specialist breast cancer units. It is for health authorities to determine whether additional breast cancer services are required.
§ Mr. PawseyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what research has taken place into what is the best time in a women's menstrual cycle to have surgery.
§ Mr. SackvilleWe are aware of a number of published studies into the best time in a woman's menstrual cycle to have surgery for breast cancer. There is no conclusive evidence about the most appropriate time for breast cancer surgery; most suggest that prognosis is worse for those who have surgery in the early part of the menstrual cycle. One recent study suggested that it is the perimenstrual period that is the most disadvantageous, another shows no variation in outcome related to menstrual phase.
§ Mr. PawseyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what research is available to suggest whether women who breast feed are less likely to contract breast cancer.
§ Mr. SackvilleThere is some evidence to suggest that mothers who breast feed may he less likely to develop breast cancer. The most recent large international study was a World Health Organisation collaborative study published in 1993 in theInternational Journal of Epidemiology. This concluded that long-term lactation may reduce the risk of breast cancer.