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Written question asked by Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat) on Tuesday, 16 September 2025, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 13 October 2025. It was answered by Ashley Dalton (Labour) on Monday, 13 October 2025 on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care.

Multiple Myeloma: Diagnosis

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the national cancer plan for England will include targets to improve the diagnosis of myeloma.

Answer

It is a priority for the Government to support the National Health Service to diagnose cancer, including blood cancers such as myeloma, as well as other unstageable cancers, as early and quickly as possible, and to treat it faster, in order to improve outcomes.

To tackle late diagnoses of blood cancers, the NHS is implementing non-specific symptom pathways for patients who present with symptoms such as weight loss and fatigue, which do not clearly align to a tumour type. Blood cancers are one of the most common cancer types diagnosed through these pathways.

We will get the NHS diagnosing blood cancer earlier and treating it faster, and we will support the NHS to increase capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment, including for magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scanners.

The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including speeding up diagnosis and treatment and ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, ultimately driving up this country’s cancer survival rates.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
77757
Session
2024-26
Related items
Multiple Myeloma: Diagnosis
Friday, 21 November 2025
Written questions
House of Commons
Subjects
Diagnosis Standards Multiple myeloma
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk