AQW 44248/11-15
Mrs Brenda Hale
Democratic Unionist Party
Lagan Valley
Tabled Date: 26/03/2015
Answered On Date: 09/04/2015
Priority Written: No
Question:
To ask the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety whether he plans to increase funding for pancreatic cancer research.
Answer:
Each year, around 8,500 people in the UK are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The NI Cancer Registry states that 160 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in NI each year. A study carried out by the Registry in 2007 showed that, relative to 2001, care for patients with pancreatic cancer had improved with respect to referrals to dieticians (loss of appetite is a major feature of this illness) and referrals to palliative care. HSC clinical services offer multi-professional hospital teams (surgery, oncology); specialist palliative care in hospital; hospice and Marie Curie home care teams; Macmillan nurses in the community. Support is also available through websites which provide information on the disease and offer practical advice to users: www.cancerni.net/ http://www.pancreaticcancer.org.uk/ and http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-help/type/pancreatic-cancer/ . Belfast is the major cancer research centre in Northern Ireland and The Northern Ireland Cancer Trials Centre and Network enable patients and others from across Northern Ireland to participate in clinical trials of potentially beneficial prevention strategies, diagnostics, treatments and care. Currently, almost one fifth of all patients newly diagnosed with cancer in NI participate in clinical trials. My Department funds core staff and facilities of the Centre and Network through the regional HSC R&D Fund. This support enables Trusts to benefit from research funds provided e.g. by cancer charities or industry. Use of the HSC R&D Fund does not specify the types of cancer on which research can be conducted so, although the predominant cancers studied in Belfast are breast, prostate and colon (reflecting the expertise / experience of our NI researchers) clinical studies involve many different types of cancer. Also, the fundamental discovery research led by academics and funded from a wide variety of sources is relevant to all cancers and their prevention. Since 2000 Belfast has had a successful pancreatic cancer clinical trials portfolio. The completed trials have led to several major publications, thereby adding to global knowledge that is available to clinicians who are treating pancreatic cancer. Several new pancreatic cancer trials are being set up currently, including funding support from Cancer Research UK. These involve potentially beneficial new drugs to be used alone or in combination with radiotherapy. The Northern Ireland Fund Raising Group of the Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund (PCRF) was launched by Minister Poots on Monday 10th February 2014. Mrs Maggie Blanks, founder of PCRF, made her first trip to Northern Ireland to be present for the launch. To date, Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund has supported 27 research projects in the UK with grants totalling £4 million - all through fundraising and donations. Its mission is to defeat pancreatic cancer by funding and promoting innovative, world-class research into the disease - research that will lead to the development of more effective detection, diagnosis and treatment. A new HSC R&D strategy for NI has just completed its public consultation stage. The strategy will highlight the benefits achievable for patients and the wider public through research that is undertaken within HSC organisations. The National Cancer Research Institute has published an analysis of research funding by UK Health departments and charities over the 10 year period 2002 – 2011. For pancreatic cancer, research funding increased significantly over the period, from £1.5m to £5.1m.
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