Written question asked by Steve Webb (Liberal Democrat) on Monday, 30 January 2006, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 2 February 2006. It was answered by John Healey (Labour) on Thursday, 2 February 2006 on behalf of the Office for National Statistics.

Breast Cancer

Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what data sources are used by his Department to estimate the number of cases of breast cancer each year; and what the latest estimate is of the number of such cases.

Answer: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 2 February 2006:"The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent parliamentary question concerning what data sources are used by his department to estimate the number of cases of breast cancer each year; and what the latest estimate is of the number of such cases. I am replying in her absence. (47988)""Information on newly diagnosed cases of cancer is collected and registered by the nine regional cancer registries in England. Extracts from the registration information are then submitted to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Annual figures for the incidence of cancer in England (based on newly diagnosed cases) are published by ONS in the series ‘MB1, Cancer statistics registrations', which is available on the National Statistics website:""http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk= 8843&Pos=&ColRank=1&Rank=224""The most recent available information on registration of newly diagnosed cases of breast cancer is for the year 2003. There were 36,509 newly diagnosed cases of breast cancer in females and 295 in males in England in 2003 (code C50 in the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision)."

Secondary information