§ Mr. HurstTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average cost to the National Health Service is of a full course of chemotherapy to treat breast cancer. [145599]
§ Yvette CooperNo comprehensive national data are currently held on the costs of chemotherapy to treat breast cancer.
It is expected that reference cost data (unit cost data on a range of hospital and community based health services) will include the costs of chemotherapy based around the drug regimens currently in use. The data for the 2000–01 financial year will be available in autumn of 2001.
§ Mr. HurstTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average cost is to the National Health Service of a full course of radiotherapy to treat breast cancer following a mastectomy. [145597]
§ Yvette CooperThe length and time for a course of radiotherapy can vary dependent on the size and classification of the type of cancer involved. A particularly virulent form of the disease may require a higher dose of a certain type of radiotherapy in a relatively short period of time, while another form may require a lower dose over a longer period of time. Therefore there is no 'standard course' of radiotherapy to treat breast cancer following a mastectomy.
Within reference costs, we hold information on the national average cost of the different types of radiotherapy based on the number of fractions (doses) given to a patient. Examples of these for 1999–2000 are shown in the table.
£ HRG code/Health resource group label Mean average w11 Complex Teletherapy, More than 12, Less than 24 Fractions 845 w17 Complex Teletherapy with Imaging and Multiple Planning, More than 23 Fractions 831 In total, there are 35 such categories and full details of these are contained in the reference cost 2000 publication available in hard copy or on the Department of Health website. Copies of the publication are available in the Library.