Asked by: Derek Twigg (Labour - Halton)
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 (a) tackle regional inequalities in respect of lung cancer and (b) improve (i) the timeliness of referrals for treatment, (ii) early diagnosis and (iii) mortality rates among populations at risk of that disease.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The National Lung Cancer Audit has been collecting data nationally since 2005 to ensure care meets standards and seeks to reduce unwarranted variation across the country. Targeted lung health check projects are now running in parts of the country with the highest rates of mortality from lung cancer, with 20 new locations recently confirmed for 2022/23.
To improve the timeliness of referrals, NHS England and NHS Improvement have introduced the Faster Diagnosis Standard, to measure the number of patients receiving a diagnosis or ruling out of cancer within 28 days of a referral. NHS England and NHS Improvement’s ‘Help us help you’ campaign is encouraging people to come forward with symptoms, with a specific lung cancer campaign from August 2021.
Lung cancer patients in England will be the first in Europe to be offered Sotorasib, a revolutionary new drug to prevent the growth of tumours. All radiotherapy centres in England are now able to deliver stereotactic ablative radiotherapy for treating certain kinds of lung cancer without the need for surgery.
Asked by: Mick Whitley (Labour - Birkenhead)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the efficacy of Project Orbis.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has been participating in Project Orbis since 1 January 2021. The Project has accelerated the pathway for patients in the United Kingdom for quicker access to innovative drugs including Osimertinib (Tagrisso), a post-surgery treatment for lung cancer.
The MHRA has been involved in 11 Orbis projects since January 2021 with several close to completion. The MHRA has processed these applications within significantly shortened timelines, liaising with the United States’ Food and Drug Administration and other regulators. Project Orbis will continue to provide patients in the UK with faster access to innovative cancer treatments with potential benefits over existing therapies.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham, Deptford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NICE technology appraisals have been delayed as a result of operational challenges in 2021; and if he will place in the Library a list of the affected appraisals.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The 19 topics listed as follows have been delayed as a result of operational challenges in 2021.
- Tuberous sclerosis complex (seizures) – cannabidiol; |
- Waldenstrom's macroglobulinaemia – zanubrutinib; |
- Head and neck cancer (untreated, metastatic squamous cell) - nivolumab (with ipilimumab); |
- Breast cancer (triple negative) - pembrolizumab (neoadjuvant, with chemotherapy); |
- Renal cell carcinoma (metastatic, untreated) - nivolumab (with cabozantinib); |
- Multiple sclerosis (relapsing-remitting) - diroximel fumarate; |
- Upadacitinib for treating active psoriatic arthritis after inadequate response to disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs); |
- Gastric cancer (resect) - pembrolizumab (with chemotherapy and surgery); |
- Dermatitis (atopic, moderate, severe, aged 12 and over) – upadacitinib; |
- Tralokinumab for treating moderate to severe atopic dermatitis; |
- Dermatitis (atopic, moderate, severe, aged 12 and over) – abrocitinib; |
- Cough (refractory, chronic) – gefapixant; |
- Renal cell carcinoma - pembrolizumab (adjuvant); |
- Polyps (nasal), rhinosinusitis (chronic, severe) – mepolizumab; |
- Ulcerative colitis (moderate, severe) – ozanimod; |
- Ankylosing spondylitis (active) – upadacitinib; |
- Lung cancer (non-small-cell, resected) - atezolizumab (adjuvant); |
- Ankylosing spondylitis (active) – tofacitinib; and |
- Hepatocellular carcinoma (advanced, treated) - cabozantinib (review of technology appraisal 582). |
Asked by: Anthony Browne (Conservative - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Government announcement in April 2018 of £75 million funding over five years for prostate cancer research, how much of that funding has been disbursed, broken down by project.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department funds research into all aspects of human health, including prostate cancer, through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) at the level of £1 billion per year. The following table shows the NIHR’s programme expenditure specifically prostate cancer since April 2018:
Award title | Total award budget |
A randomised controlled trial of Partial prostate Ablation versus Radical Treatment (PART) in intermediate risk, unilateral clinically localised prostate cancer | £ 2,677,446 |
Enzalutamide for treating non-metastatic hormone-relapsed prostate cancer [ID1359] | £ 65,625 |
A randomised controlled trial of TRANSrectal biopsy versus Local Anaesthetic Transperineal biopsy Evaluation (TRANSLATE) of potential clinically significant prostate cancer | £ 1,072,414 |
Darolutamide with androgen deprivation therapy for treating non-metastatic hormone-relapsed prostate cancer [ID1443] | £ 65,625 |
Olaparib for previously treated, hormone-relapsed metastatic prostate cancer (ID1640) | £ 131,250 |
Perineal biopsy devices for diagnosis of prostate cancer in people with suspected prostate cancer | £ 175,219 |
A miniature tethered drop-in laparoscopic molecular imaging probe for intraoperative decision support in minimally invasive prostate cancer surgery | £ 869,105 |
Prostate Liquid Biopsy Test for Risk Stratification of Prostate Cancer, preparation for CE marking. | £ 205,098 |
Transforming management of advanced prostate cancer: Increasing clinical productivity and capacity and empowering men through digital health | £ 149,168 |
Further development of and evidence generation for a precision dosing tool for optimising chemotherapy dosing in advanced prostate cancer | £ 150,000 |
GlycoScore: Superior prostate cancer diagnosis using a simple blood test | £ 150,000 |
Integrating genetic testing into the prostate cancer pathway to more precisely guide care, treatment and accelerate clinical trials | £ 3,001,779 |
SUrvivors' Rehabilitation Evaluation after CANcer (SURECAN) | £ 2,447,636 |
Supported exercise TrAining for Men with prostate caNcer on Androgen deprivation therapy – STAMINA | £ 2,497,723 |
Endoscopically-delivered Purastat for the treatment of haemorrhagic radiation proctopathy: a randomised feasibility study | £ 225,720 |
Improving self and clinical management of comorbid diabetes during cancer treatments: a qualitative interview study with patients and clinicians to identify theory-based intervention targets, strategies and implementation options | £ 149,784 |
A multicentre randomised controlled trial (RCT) of a self-help cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) intervention to reduce the impact of hot flush and night sweat (HFNS) symptoms in men with prostate cancer undergoing androgen deprivation therapy (ADT): MANaging symptoms during prostate CANcer treatment (MANCAN2) | £ 348,659 |
The Prostate Cancer Androgen Receptor Splice Variant 7 Biomarker Trial (The VARIANT trial) - A multicentre feasibility study of biomarker-guided personalised treatment in advanced prostate cancer. | £276,230 |
Improving outcomes for men undergoing surgery for prostate cancer. A study to evaluate the feasibility of a multicentre randomised controlled trial of frozen section technology to improve oncological and functional outcomes at robotic radical prostatectomy. | £ 249,302 |
Multimodal treatment for patients with prostate cancer: a national study using existing electronic data. | £ 257,830 |
Total | £15,165,614 |
The NIHR also supports the delivery in the health and care system of prostate cancer research funded by research funding partners in the charity and public sectors. The NIHR Clinical Research Network has supported over 90 prostate cancer related studies since April 2018, totalling £20.3 million.
Asked by: Jess Phillips (Labour - Birmingham, Yardley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to reduce the number of people with sarcoma who are diagnosed at stages three and four.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
People diagnosed with sarcoma and those with a family history or risk factors are able to access genomics tests as commissioned through the NHS England genomics test directory to aid early diagnosis and treatment options.
There are fifteen specialist soft tissue sarcoma cancer centres and five specialist bone sarcoma centres in England. All accept referrals for patients with suspected diagnoses from genomics results or primary or acute care, thereby improving early diagnosis and treatments. Specialists sarcoma centres provide a full range of sarcoma care, ranging from diagnostics, surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and any long-term follow-up. This can also include specialist palliative care and survivorship, when provided by a specialist cancer centre.
Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
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 in the West Midlands to ensure that the backlog for cancer treatment is prioritised.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Cancer treatments in the West Midlands have continued throughout the pandemic with little reduction in capacity for chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments. Work is now ongoing to prioritise surgery and diagnostic procedures, including additional endoscopy resource, further development of rapid diagnostic centres and implementation of community diagnostic hubs. The implementation of breast pain pathways should reduce demand on cancer services and help focus capacity on where it is needed. The elective recovery programme is underway and is focussing on the reduction of backlogs in the highest priority categories of patients, which includes cancer patients.
Asked by: Baroness Masham of Ilton (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to support the (1) current, and (2) future, provision of prostate cancer (a) treatment, and (b) related well-being services.
Answered by Lord Bethell
A wide range of treatments are available for prostate cancer across the National Health Service, depending on both the stage of disease and each individual patient’s preferences, which includes surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. In February 2021, NHS England and NHS Improvement’s specialised commissioning team announced that it would make available external beam radiotherapy to treat hormone sensitive, low volume prostate cancer.
The NHS also made available a range of ‘COVID-19 friendly’ treatments, offering benefits such as fewer hospital visits or a reduced impact on the patient’s immune system. This includes targeted hormone therapies such as enzalutamide for prostate cancer treatment. After treatment, patients will move to a Personalised Stratified Follow-Up pathway that suits their needs and ensures they can get rapid access to clinical support where they are worried that their cancer may have recurred. This stratified follow-up approach was established in all trusts for prostate cancer in 2020.
NHS England is supporting staff to offer personalised care to people affected by cancer, including people with prostate cancer, by promoting awareness and understanding of the personalised care interventions. The NHS Long Term Plan sets a clear ambition that where appropriate every person diagnosed with cancer, including those with prostate cancer, should have access to personalised care to ensure people’s social, emotional, physical and practical needs are identified and addressed at the earliest opportunity. Over the next five years, Cancer Alliances will be embedding personalised care interventions, which will identify and address the changing needs of cancer patients from diagnosis onwards.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much his Department has spent on using private hospital facilities and clinics for additional care capacity for (a) cancer care, (b) elective surgery and (c) other procedures during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Total actual costs are expected to be made available by the autumn, subject to contracts being reconciled by both NHS England and NHS Improvement and the independent sector.
Asked by: Lord Aberdare (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many pancreatic cancer surgeries have been cancelled in each month since January 2020.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The data requested on cancelled surgery is not collected centrally.
Asked by: George Howarth (Labour - Knowsley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on people diagnosed with cancer.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The NHS Cancer Programme is currently establishing a task and finish group to review alterations and/or disruptions to care pathways, including services for those with secondary breast cancer, during the pandemic. Once a group has been established the group will consider the most appropriate data sources with which to make this assessment.
Cancer diagnosis and treatment has remained a top priority for the Government throughout the pandemic. From March 2020 to the end of January 2021, 1.86 million people have been urgently referred and over 477,000 people started receiving cancer treatment. First and subsequent cancer treatments have been maintained at 87% of the level in 2019.
The Government has taken a number of steps to ensure people can continue to access high-quality cancer care throughout the pandemic. For example, there are currently 65 live regional diagnostic centre pathways across hospitals in England, compared to 12 in March 2020.
Additionally, COVID-19 protected hubs for cancer surgery have been established to keep vulnerable cancer patients safe. This particularly protects cancer patients from immunocompromised infection. All 21 Cancer Alliances across England have arrangements in place for surgical cancer hubs. Adults experiencing cancer can access Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) mental health services, which provide evidence based therapies for people with anxiety disorders and depression. The implementation of IAPT/long term condition pathways has been identified as a priority to support integration of mental health and physical health services for people with co-morbid long term conditions, such as cancer.