HC Deb 30 April 1999 vol 330 c282W
Mr. Gordon Prentice

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will list by health authority, ranked in descending order, the number of people, and the percentage of the population served by the authority, who have been diagnosed as having(a) treatable and (b) untreatable oral cancers in the last 12 months for which figures are available;[82332]

(2) what estimate he has made of the number of oral cancers which were identified as such by a dentist (a) at an early and treatable stage and (b) at an advanced stage, in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [82334]

Mr. Denham

The table gives details of hospital treatments for conditions which are usually described as oral cancers. Information is not routinely collected on sources of referrals or their prognosis.

Ordinary admissions and day cases combined: completed episodes by primary diagnosis and

age NHS hospitals, England, 1997–98

All ages
C00 Malignant neoplasm of lip 454
C01 Malignant neoplasm of base of tongue 606
C02 Malignant neoplasm of other and unspecified parts of tongue 2,082
C03 Malignant neoplasm of gum 326
C04 Malignant neoplasm of floor of mouth 980
C05 Malignant neoplasm of palate 548
C06 Malignant neoplasm of other and unspecified parts of mouth 878
Total (C00-C06) 5,874

Note: Figures are provisional, no adjustments have yet been made for shortfalls (i.e. the data is ungrossed). The table shows numbers of finished consultant episodes (FCEs) by primary diagnosis and age, in NHS hospitals in England for the financial year 1997–98. An FCE is defined as a period of patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Please note that the figures do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within a year. Source: Department of Health, Hospital Episode Statistics (HES)