§ Dr. GibsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what percentage of myeloma patients in the UK are(a) men and (b) women; [62686]
(2) how many people in the UK were diagnosed with multiple myeloma in (a) 1975, (b) 1980, (c) 1985, (d) 1990, (e) 1995, (f) 2000 and (g) 2001; [62682]
(3) what percentage of myeloma patients in the UK are under (a) 50, (b) 40 and (c) 30 years of age; [62685]
(4) if he will list areas in the UK in which there are clusters of multiple myeloma sufferers. [62684]
§ Ruth KellyI have been asked to reply.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Ian Gibson, dated 20 June 2002:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply on how many people in the UK were diagnosed with multiple myeloma in (a) 1975, (b) 1980, (c) 1985, (d) 1990, (e) 1995, (0 2000 and (g) 2001, what percentage of myeloma patients in the UK are (a) men and (b) women, what percentage of myeloma patients in the UK are under (a) 50, (b) 40 and (c) 30 years of age, and to list areas in the UK in which there are clusters of multiple myeloma sufferers. (62684, 62682, 62686, 62685)The available information on the incidence of multiple myeloma in the United Kingdom is shown in the attached tables.We have no information on areas in the UK where there may be clusters of multiple myeloma 'sufferers'. To determine if indeed there are clusters, and if so where, would require an appropriate research study.Further information on trends in the incidence, survival and mortality from multiple myeloma can be found in Chapter 14 of the book 'Cancer Trends in England and Wales 1950–1999, SMPS No. 66, author M. Quinn et al, copies of which are available in the House of Commons Library.569W
Number of newly diagnosed cases of multiple myeloma1 in the United Kingdom2, 1975 to 1998 Total number of cases 1975 1,890 1980 2,327 1985 2,946 1990 2,960 1995 3,538 1998 3,770
Percentage of newly diagnosed cases of multiple myeloma1 in the United Kingdom by sex and age group, 1998 Percentage of all newly diagnosed cases Male 53 Female 47 Age Less than 30 years 0.2 Less than 40 years 1.3 Less than 50 years 5.0 Total number of cases—3,770 1Multiple myeloma has been defined to the International Classification of Disease eight and nine revision (ICD8 and ICD9) code 203 for the period 1975–1994, and to codes C88 and C90 according to the International Classification of Disease tenth revision (ICD10) from 1995 onwards. 2Cancer incidence figures for Northern Ireland are only available since 1993. Sources:
England—Office for National Statistics
Wales—Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit
Scotland—Information and Statistics Division
Northern Ireland—Northern Ireland Cancer Registry
§ Dr. GibsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average life expectancy is of a myeloma patient. [62688]
§ Ruth KellyI have been asked to reply.
The information falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from Len Cook to Dr. Ian Gibson, dated 20 June 2002:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply on what the average life expectancy is of a myeloma patient. (62688)Life expectancy is generally not estimated for cancer patients, because death rates in any age group would be much more heavily influenced by age at diagnosis than by survival from the disease.A better indicator is the proportion of patients who are still alive at various period of time after diagnosis. This is used almost universally in the assessment of cancer control programmes. The crude survival rate is simply the proportion of the original group of patients alive at the specified time since diagnosis, i.e. it takes into account both deaths from the cancer concerned and deaths from all other causes.The latest available information on crude survival for patients diagnosed with multiple myeloma in England and Wales is given detailed in the table.570W
One and five year crude (percentage) of patients aged /5–99 diagnosed during 1991–93 with multiple myeloma1, by sex. England and Wales Number of cases 1991–93 One year survival (percentage) Five year survival (percentage) Men 3,774 55 16 Women 3,408 53 14 1 International Classification of Disease Ninth Revision Code 203 Source:
Report: Cancer survival in England and Wales, 1991–98. Health Statistics Quarterly 2000; 6: 71–80
The most useful summary measure is the median crude survival time, i.e. the point in time at which 50% of the original group have died (from any cause), but diagnosed with myeloma; this was just about 15 months for men and 14 months for women.
More information is available in Health Statistics Quarterly 2000; 6. copies of which are available in the House of Commons Library.