Asked by: Douglas McAllister (Labour - West Dunbartonshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to publish the geographical distribution of sites involved in the TRANSFORM trial; and what criteria were used to select them.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department invests over £1.6 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
In November 2023, the Government and Prostate Cancer UK (PCUK) announced the £42 million TRANSFORM screening trial to find the best way to screen men for prostate cancer, in order to find it before it becomes advanced and harder to treat. PCUK is managing the award on behalf of the funders, with the Government contributing £16 million through the NIHR.
Once received, the protocol will be published on the NIHR’s website on the funding and awards page. This is expected to contain details of the site selection criteria. TRANSFORM will aim to recruit men from across the United Kingdom, including Scotland.
Asked by: Douglas McAllister (Labour - West Dunbartonshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help lengthen life expectancy for people with acute myeloid leukaemia; and if he will increase levels of funding for leukaemia (a) research and (b) treatment.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department funds research into leukaemia through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR spent £133 million on cancer research in 2023/24.
In leukaemia research, for example, the NIHR is funding the £2.6 million PROPEL trial, testing whether a package of enhanced personalised prehabilitation can help people with acute myeloid leukaemia secure better outcomes after treatment.
NHS England has implemented non symptom specific pathways for patients who present with non-specific symptoms or combinations thereof that can indicate several different cancers. This includes leukaemia, which can present non-specific symptoms, such as unexpected weight loss and night sweats. The national evaluation showed that blood cancers are one of the most common cancer types diagnosed through these pathways.
The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including treatment for acute myeloid leukaemia patients.