§ Dr. MurrisonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what measure she is taking to assess the efficacy of the breast screening programme. [12863]
§ Mr. HuttonIt is the role of the Advisory Committee on Breast Cancer Screening (ACBCS) to consider all research papers published on the subject of breast cancer screening. The national health service breast screening programme is kept under constant re-examination and vigilance. The ACBCS met on 31 October 2001, and in light of recent publications in the medical journals, agreed 791W to review the evidence in the Forrest Report', on which the NHS breast screening programme was based. The committee last reviewed this evidence formally in 1991.
The review will be led by Professor Valerie Beral, Chair of the committee, in conjunction with the Institute of Cancer Research and the NHS cancer screening programmes. A first draft of the report will be presented at the committee's next meeting on 15 May 2002.
1 Breast Cancer Screening Report to the Health Ministers of England, Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland by a working group chaired by Professor Sir Patrick Forrest (HMSO 2986).