Apr. 19 2024
Source Page: Genomics in Scotland: Building our Future Strategy SummaryFound: Support Macmillan support people living with and affected by cancer.
Apr. 19 2024
Source Page: Genomics in Scotland: Building our Future Strategy: Implementation Plan Year OneFound: (NGS), Whole Exome Sequencing (WES) and Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) where relevant within both cancer
Apr. 19 2024
Source Page: Scotland's Genomic Medicine Strategy 2024-2029Found: Cancer genomics As set out in the recent Cancer Strategy for Scotland 2023 to 2033, cancer is one of
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to expand public awareness campaigns for prostate cancer, following the prediction by the Lancet Commission of a surge in cases.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the United Kingdom, and currently has no screening programme. The recently announced TRANSFORM trial aims to find the best way to screen for prostate cancer. This study is led by Prostate Cancer UK and supported by £42 million of Government funding.
In March 2024, NHS England implemented the Faster Diagnosis Standard (FDS), setting a target of a maximum 28 day wait from urgent suspected general practice or screening referral to patients being told they have cancer, or that cancer is ruled out. To achieve this target, NHS England is streamlining cancer pathways by introducing best-practice timed pathways for prostate cancer, so that those suspected of having prostate cancer receive a multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging scan first, which ensures only those men most at risk of having cancer undergo an invasive biopsy. As well as diagnosing patients faster, NHS England is working to diagnose patients at an earlier stage, through the ambitions set out in the NHS Long-Term Plan, to diagnose 75% of cancers at stages one and two by 2028.
NHS England takes steps to raise awareness of prostate cancer, where there are opportunities to do so. For example, NHS England partners with Cancer Alliances, charities, and local representatives to reach people through projects in the heart of their communities. Cancer Alliances have also been undertaking action to alert at-risk groups about prostate cancer. This is determined at a local level, and so will vary depending on local needs and priorities.
The Government has made significant strides in enabling the use of artificial intelligence (AI) systems to support the diagnosis of many types of cancer, including prostate. The AI in Health and Care Award was established, aiming to accelerate the testing and development of AI technologies that align with the NHS Long Term Plan. The award represents a substantial investment in the future of healthcare technology, with £113 million already allocated to support 86 AI technologies. Three of these projects specifically relate to prostate cancer, one of which is the Paige prostate cancer detection tool, developed by the University of Oxford. This AI-based diagnostic software aids in the interpretation of pathology sample images, facilitating more efficient detection, grading, and quantification of cancer in prostate biopsies. The Chancellor’s recent budget announcement on 6 March 2024 includes a £3.4 billion investment to reform how the National Health Service works, including on the use of technologies such as AI.
Finally, although no specific assessment of the Lancet Commission published 4 April 2024 has been made, the Department will work with NHS England to review the details.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to recent research conducted by the Lancet Commission, what steps they plan to take to address the projected surge in prostate cancer cases.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the United Kingdom, and currently has no screening programme. The recently announced TRANSFORM trial aims to find the best way to screen for prostate cancer. This study is led by Prostate Cancer UK and supported by £42 million of Government funding.
In March 2024, NHS England implemented the Faster Diagnosis Standard (FDS), setting a target of a maximum 28 day wait from urgent suspected general practice or screening referral to patients being told they have cancer, or that cancer is ruled out. To achieve this target, NHS England is streamlining cancer pathways by introducing best-practice timed pathways for prostate cancer, so that those suspected of having prostate cancer receive a multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging scan first, which ensures only those men most at risk of having cancer undergo an invasive biopsy. As well as diagnosing patients faster, NHS England is working to diagnose patients at an earlier stage, through the ambitions set out in the NHS Long-Term Plan, to diagnose 75% of cancers at stages one and two by 2028.
NHS England takes steps to raise awareness of prostate cancer, where there are opportunities to do so. For example, NHS England partners with Cancer Alliances, charities, and local representatives to reach people through projects in the heart of their communities. Cancer Alliances have also been undertaking action to alert at-risk groups about prostate cancer. This is determined at a local level, and so will vary depending on local needs and priorities.
The Government has made significant strides in enabling the use of artificial intelligence (AI) systems to support the diagnosis of many types of cancer, including prostate. The AI in Health and Care Award was established, aiming to accelerate the testing and development of AI technologies that align with the NHS Long Term Plan. The award represents a substantial investment in the future of healthcare technology, with £113 million already allocated to support 86 AI technologies. Three of these projects specifically relate to prostate cancer, one of which is the Paige prostate cancer detection tool, developed by the University of Oxford. This AI-based diagnostic software aids in the interpretation of pathology sample images, facilitating more efficient detection, grading, and quantification of cancer in prostate biopsies. The Chancellor’s recent budget announcement on 6 March 2024 includes a £3.4 billion investment to reform how the National Health Service works, including on the use of technologies such as AI.
Finally, although no specific assessment of the Lancet Commission published 4 April 2024 has been made, the Department will work with NHS England to review the details.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, what plans they have to use artificial intelligence systems to support the diagnosis of prostate cancer, as recommended by the Lancet Commission in research published on 4 April.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the United Kingdom, and currently has no screening programme. The recently announced TRANSFORM trial aims to find the best way to screen for prostate cancer. This study is led by Prostate Cancer UK and supported by £42 million of Government funding.
In March 2024, NHS England implemented the Faster Diagnosis Standard (FDS), setting a target of a maximum 28 day wait from urgent suspected general practice or screening referral to patients being told they have cancer, or that cancer is ruled out. To achieve this target, NHS England is streamlining cancer pathways by introducing best-practice timed pathways for prostate cancer, so that those suspected of having prostate cancer receive a multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging scan first, which ensures only those men most at risk of having cancer undergo an invasive biopsy. As well as diagnosing patients faster, NHS England is working to diagnose patients at an earlier stage, through the ambitions set out in the NHS Long-Term Plan, to diagnose 75% of cancers at stages one and two by 2028.
NHS England takes steps to raise awareness of prostate cancer, where there are opportunities to do so. For example, NHS England partners with Cancer Alliances, charities, and local representatives to reach people through projects in the heart of their communities. Cancer Alliances have also been undertaking action to alert at-risk groups about prostate cancer. This is determined at a local level, and so will vary depending on local needs and priorities.
The Government has made significant strides in enabling the use of artificial intelligence (AI) systems to support the diagnosis of many types of cancer, including prostate. The AI in Health and Care Award was established, aiming to accelerate the testing and development of AI technologies that align with the NHS Long Term Plan. The award represents a substantial investment in the future of healthcare technology, with £113 million already allocated to support 86 AI technologies. Three of these projects specifically relate to prostate cancer, one of which is the Paige prostate cancer detection tool, developed by the University of Oxford. This AI-based diagnostic software aids in the interpretation of pathology sample images, facilitating more efficient detection, grading, and quantification of cancer in prostate biopsies. The Chancellor’s recent budget announcement on 6 March 2024 includes a £3.4 billion investment to reform how the National Health Service works, including on the use of technologies such as AI.
Finally, although no specific assessment of the Lancet Commission published 4 April 2024 has been made, the Department will work with NHS England to review the details.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Lancet Commission on prostate cancer, published 4 April 2024.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the United Kingdom, and currently has no screening programme. The recently announced TRANSFORM trial aims to find the best way to screen for prostate cancer. This study is led by Prostate Cancer UK and supported by £42 million of Government funding.
In March 2024, NHS England implemented the Faster Diagnosis Standard (FDS), setting a target of a maximum 28 day wait from urgent suspected general practice or screening referral to patients being told they have cancer, or that cancer is ruled out. To achieve this target, NHS England is streamlining cancer pathways by introducing best-practice timed pathways for prostate cancer, so that those suspected of having prostate cancer receive a multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging scan first, which ensures only those men most at risk of having cancer undergo an invasive biopsy. As well as diagnosing patients faster, NHS England is working to diagnose patients at an earlier stage, through the ambitions set out in the NHS Long-Term Plan, to diagnose 75% of cancers at stages one and two by 2028.
NHS England takes steps to raise awareness of prostate cancer, where there are opportunities to do so. For example, NHS England partners with Cancer Alliances, charities, and local representatives to reach people through projects in the heart of their communities. Cancer Alliances have also been undertaking action to alert at-risk groups about prostate cancer. This is determined at a local level, and so will vary depending on local needs and priorities.
The Government has made significant strides in enabling the use of artificial intelligence (AI) systems to support the diagnosis of many types of cancer, including prostate. The AI in Health and Care Award was established, aiming to accelerate the testing and development of AI technologies that align with the NHS Long Term Plan. The award represents a substantial investment in the future of healthcare technology, with £113 million already allocated to support 86 AI technologies. Three of these projects specifically relate to prostate cancer, one of which is the Paige prostate cancer detection tool, developed by the University of Oxford. This AI-based diagnostic software aids in the interpretation of pathology sample images, facilitating more efficient detection, grading, and quantification of cancer in prostate biopsies. The Chancellor’s recent budget announcement on 6 March 2024 includes a £3.4 billion investment to reform how the National Health Service works, including on the use of technologies such as AI.
Finally, although no specific assessment of the Lancet Commission published 4 April 2024 has been made, the Department will work with NHS England to review the details.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has made a recent assessment of the effectiveness of the help us, help you campaign.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No recent assessment has been made. In 2020 NHS England launched the Help Us, Help You (HUHY) campaigns, a major public information campaign to persuade the public to seek urgent care and treatment when they needed it. The HUHY campaign strategy is designed to address the underlying barriers to cancer diagnosis, including multifaceted fears and a lack of body vigilance, along with the lack of knowledge of cancer symptoms, to encourage people to present earlier.
On 8 January 2024, NHS England relaunched the HUHY campaign for cancer, designed to increase earlier diagnosis of cancer by reducing barriers to seeking earlier help, as well as increasing body vigilance and knowledge of key red flag symptoms. This campaign addresses barriers to people coming forward with suspected signs of cancer in general, and is not specific to screening or cervical cancer.
We are seeing continued high levels of urgent cancer referrals, which suggests the HUHY campaigns continue to be effective. Over 12,000 urgent referrals were seen for suspected cancer per working day in February 2024, compared to approximately 9,000 in January 2020.
Written Evidence Apr. 18 2024
Inquiry: The Office for Local GovernmentFound: Also, any significant over diagnosis of ‘at risk’, the false positive, is equally unwelcome for credibility
Mentions:
1: Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford (Con - Life peer) From sequencing to treatment in her case cost £70,000, just 20% of her pre-diagnosis healthcare costs - Speech Link
2: Lord Scriven (LD - Life peer) People are waiting in the back of ambulances outside A&E for hours, while people waiting for a cancer - Speech Link
3: Baroness Ramsey of Wall Heath (Lab - Life peer) She was right, and said so repeatedly when, 40 years later, my father was being treated for lung cancer - Speech Link