Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what research they have commissioned into the UK's success rate at treating breast cancer compared with other countries, namely in Europe.
It is difficult to compare data in England to other countries, including countries in Europe, in a meaningful way due to time lag on data being published, and issues with data completeness.
Despite this, a 2019 CONCORD study shows that breast cancer deaths are falling faster in Britain than in the rest of Europe as diagnosis and treatment improves. Death rates this year will be below the European Union average after a 18% drop in little more than half a decade, according to comparisons that suggest the National Health Service’s focus on better organisation, screening and care has paid dividends.