PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Ovarian Cancer (5 February 2015)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect of the Be Clear on Cancer regional pilot in ovarian cancer on (a) survival rates, (b) early diagnosis and (c) general awareness of ovarian cancer.

Asked by:
Stuart Andrew (Conservative)

For each Be Clear on Cancer campaign there is a comprehensive evaluation process. Data is collected on a number of metrics to reflect the possible campaign impact on key elements of the patient pathway. Metrics evaluated include survival rates, indicators for earlier diagnosis and general awareness of ovarian cancer symptoms.

For the regional ovarian pilot in the North West, we have so far been able to look at the following metrics:

- cancer awareness levels;

- urgent general practitioner (GP) (two week wait) referrals for suspected gynaecological cancers;

- ovarian cancers diagnosed following a two week wait referral;

- all ovarian cancers diagnosed and recorded in the cancer waiting times database;

- conversion rate (percentage of two week wait referrals resulting in a cancer diagnosis); and

- detection rate (percentage of Cancer Waiting Times (CWT) recorded cancers resulting from a two week wait referral).

Some of the information required to fully evaluate campaigns takes longer to collate and analyse but gradually over time, when combined together, the metrics we analyse build up a detailed picture of potential campaign effects. This will include analysis of the following data:

- GP attendances;

- diagnostic tests, including CA125;

- numbers of cancers recorded by the National Cancer Registration Service;

- stage at diagnosis; and

- one year survival.

The National Cancer Intelligence Network (part of Public Health England) have confirmed that they will publish a full and final evaluation report for the regional ovarian cancer pilot campaign as soon as possible, when analysis of all metrics is complete. However, in advance of a final evaluation report, they aim to publish an interim report containing the cancer awareness levels and the results from the analysis of CWT data before the end of February 2015, at which time we will share these results with the ovarian cancer expert group and ovarian cancer charities.

Answered by:
Jane Ellison (Conservative)
10 February 2015