§ Mr. MacleanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what was the average survival age for sufferers of cystic fibrosis in(a) 1998, (b) 1988 and (c) 1978; [81753]
(2) if he will estimate the number of cystic fibrosis sufferers who reached their 18 birthday in (a) 1970 and (b) 1998. [81752]
§ Mr. HuttonThe information is not available in the form requested. The United Kingdom Cystic Fibrosis Survey can provide survival data based on three year cohorts. According to the Survey's current data (which include 1997 data for deaths from the Office for National Statistics) of people with cystic fibrosis born in the three year period 1986 –88, 93 per cent. survived to age 12; of those born in 1977 –79, 63 per cent. survived to age 21; of those born in 1968 –70, the median survival was 16 years 8 months and 47 per cent. survived to age 18. For the 1986 –88 cohort, 90 per cent. might be expected to survive to age 18. Recent trends for children indicate that the upper limit of survival to age 18 might be about 95 per cent.
444 people with cystic fibrosis were aged 18 or more at the start of 1978 and 94 reached their 18 birthday in that year; 2,357 people with cystic fibrosis were aged 18 or more at the start of 1997 and 216 reached their 18 birthday in that year. Equivalent figures for the years before 1978 are not available and nor yet are those for 1998.
A summary of information from the Survey up to 1997 is available from the Cystic Fibrosis Trust. Copies are available in the Library.