To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many (a) men and (b) women have been (i) diagnosed with and (ii) successfully treated for breast cancer in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in the last 12 years. (276634)

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated May 2009:

As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many (a) men and (b) women have been (i) diagnosed with and (ii) successfully treated for breast cancer in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in the last 12 years. (276634)

The latest available figures for newly diagnosed cases of cancer (incidence) are for the year 2006 for England. There were (i) five newly diagnosed cases of breast cancer in (a) men resident in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency over the twelve year period from 1995 to 2006. Table 1 gives the numbers of (i) newly diagnosed cases of breast cancer for (b) women resident in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency for each year from 1995 to 2006.

It cannot be stated definitively whether a patient with breast cancer has been (ii) ‘successfully treated’. For most cancers, but not breast, five-year survival rates are often taken to be ‘cure’ rates.

Survival rates are not available for constituencies. ONS regularly publishes one-and five-year relative survival for patients resident in England, government office regions and strategic health authorities.

Table 2 shows the predicted long-term survival rates for women diagnosed with breast cancer in 2001-03 (the most recent period for which data are available) for the North East government office region that includes Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency.

Survival rates for men diagnosed with breast cancer are not available. Male breast cancer accounts for less than one per cent of all breast cancer cases.