§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the rate of success in curing(a) lung, (b) breast, (c) testicular, (d) prostate, (e) ovarian, (f) bowel and (g) other cancers has been in the most recent period for which figures are available in (i) England, (ii) Wales, (iii) Scotland, (iv) Northern Ireland and (v) each other EU country. [74054]
§ Ms Hewitt[holding answer 2 March 1999]: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Director of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to reply.
811WLetter from Tim Holt to Mrs. Claire Curtis-Thomas, dated 3 March 1999:
As Director of the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question on rates of success in curing cancers.It is not possible to say whether or not patients are cured—although when the relative survival curve "flattens off' the patients are dying at the same rate as the general population (same age and sex); and for most cancers five-year relative survival rates are often taken to be 'cure' rates.The rates of survival from cancers diagnosed in England and Wales were most recently published in ONS Monitor MBI 98/1, a copy of which is in the library of the House. The survival rates for Scotland were most recently published in Trends in cancer survival in Scotland 1968–1990, ISD Scotland, 1993, while the rates for European countries (including England and Scotland) were published in the volume, Survival of cancer patients in Europe—the EUROCARE study, IARC Scientific Publications no.132. These publications are also held in the House of Commons library. Survival rates are not available for Northern Ireland.