§ Mr. Austin-WalkerTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what action his Department is taking to reduce the mortality rate from breast cancer. [630]
§ Mr. HoramThe Government are fully committed to reducing deaths from breast cancer, which is why we have made the reduction in breast cancer mortality a "Health of the Nation" target. We have a national breast screening programme and continue to fund research in this area. In 1995 we published the "Policy Framework for Commissioning Cancer Services" to help improve the quality of cancer services and issued further guidance to purchasers in July 1996 with the specific aim of making further progress on breast cancer outcomes.
§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to increase breast cancer services; [1234]
(2) what plans he has to increase the provision of mobile breast cancer services. [1239]
§ Mr. HoramThe provision of breast cancer services is a matter for individual health authorities in the light of local priorities and available resources.
§ Mr. CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how much was spent by his Department on breast cancer services in each of the last six years; and how much is planned to be spent in(a) 1996 and (b) 1997; [1235]
(2) what was the average expenditure, in the last financial year, on detecting and treating each case of breast cancer. [1242]
§ Mr. CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to improve awareness of breast cancer among young people at school. [1236]
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§ Mr. HoramWe have no plans at present. Higher priority is given to health messages more relevant to young people at school, since there are no appropriate behavioural changes for young people that would reduce their risk.
§ Mr. CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to provide assistance to general practitioners to deal with the medical, emotional and practical problems caused by breast cancer. [1237]
§ Mr. Horam"Guidelines for referral of patients with breast problems", produced jointly by the national health service breast screening programme and the Cancer Research Campaign on behalf of the Department of Health's advisory committee on breast cancer screening was issued to general practitioners in January 1996. A summary of "Improving Outcomes in Breast Cancer: Guidance for Purchasers", published by the NHS executive in July 1996, was sent to all general practitioners in October. Both these publications will be placed in the Library.
§ Mr. CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated regarding the detection and treatment of breast cancer. [1238]
§ Mr. HoramThe United Kingdom Health Departments, along with the Medical Research Council and the two major cancer research charities—the Cancer Research Campaign and the Imperial Cancer Research Fund—are currently funding four studies into breast cancer screening costing at least £5 million over five years. The trials are being co-ordinated by the United Kingdom Co-ordinating Committee on Cancer Research, UKCCCR. The Department of Health's contribution is expected to be some £2.4 million.
The Department's policy research programme also funds the cancer screening evaluation unit—CSEU—at the Institute of Cancer Research by some £420,000 per year. The CSEU is undertaking work into two of the above UKCCCR trials. These are a trial of breast screening of women from age 40 and a trial of the early detection of breast cancer. The CSEU is also undertaking work on the national breast cancer screening record, and is evaluating the results of two pilot studies into breast screening for women aged 65 to 69. When the current CSEU contract comes to an end in December 2000, the Department will have invested some £7.3 million in the unit.
In addition, the NHS research and development programme is currently undertaking 12 studies into breast cancer at a cost of some £1.2 million.
§ Mr. CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on breast cancer services by (i) France, (ii) Germany and (iii) the Netherlands in the most recent year for which figures are available. [1240]