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Breast Cancer

Answer

All women with suspected breast cancer should be referred urgently by their general practitioner under the two week out-patient waiting time standard. From the data centrally collected, we cannot identify those women who were routinely referred with other breast conditions but who were subsequently diagnosed with breast cancer. The number of patients who were treated for breast cancer who were referred under the two week wait and those who were referred through other routes is shown in the table.

	Number of patients treated for breast cancer who were urgently referred under the two week wait	Number of patients treated for breast cancer who were referred through other routes	Percentage of patients treated for breast cancer who were referred through other routes
2002–03	11,705	16,075	42.13
2003–04	15,163	16,090	48.52
2004–05	14,575	16,244	52.70
(45) Includes patients referred routinely with other breast conditions and those patients referred through the breast screening service.

The Cancer Plan target of 31 days from diagnosis with cancer to first treatment, to be achieved from December 2005, picks up those patients who are referred with other conditions but who are subsequently diagnosed with cancer to ensure they receive prompt treatment.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

27559; 440 c2128W;440 c2128-9W

Session

2005-06

Subjects

Breast cancer Screening

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk