To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how many men (a) were offered and (b) accepted first line hormone therapy to treat metastatic prostate cancer in each of the last three years. (216755)

[holding answer 2008]: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 8 July 2008:

As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many men (a) were offered and (b) accepted first line hormone therapy to treat metastatic prostate cancer in each of the last three years. (216755)

The number of men who (a) were offered treatments for prostate cancer is not recorded on the national cancer registration system.

The statistics relate to all cases of prostate cancer since the recording of "stage" in the cancer register cannot provide nationally comparable data on metastatic prostate cancer.

The following table shows, for 2003-05, the number of newly diagnosed cases of prostate cancer (b) receiving hormone therapy treatment. The latest year for which data are available is 2005. In 45 per cent. of prostate cancer cases in the national cancer registry database, either no treatment information was recorded or patients were recorded as having had no treatment.