8. (North East Scotland)
(Con): To ask the Scottish Government what
progress has been made to add malignant melanoma to the detect
cancer early programme. (S5O-01711)
The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport (Shona
Robison): The Scottish Government's detect cancer early
programme is supporting five pilot projects that focus on
improvements in the
Early diagnosis of malignant melanoma
across five national health service boards. The pilots are due to
report at the end of March 2018, when the detect cancer early
programme board will consider the reports and the potential to
scale up any projects for regional and national activity.
The Scottish Government has reinforced its commitment to
earlier diagnosis and treatment, as outlined in "Beating
Cancer: Ambition and Action". That cancer strategy, which is
accompanied by £100 million of investment, serves as a
blueprint for the future of cancer services in Scotland and
aims to improve prevention, detection, diagnosis, treatment and
aftercare for people who are suspected to have, or who have a
confirmed diagnosis of, cancer of any type.
: The detect cancer
early programme was launched in 2012, focusing on lung, breast
and colorectal cancers. Between 2012 and 2016, there were 882
recorded mortalities from malignant melanoma in Scotland. NHS
Grampian, which covers my region, had the fourth highest rate,
with 79. Cancer
Early diagnosis rates have failed to
increase enough to meet the Government target. Will the cabinet
secretary commit to adding malignant melanoma to the programme
and raising the early detection targets, with the hope of
reducing mortalities?
: The member raises
an important point. We have seen an increase in the instances of
malignant melanoma. In 2015, there were 1,363 diagnoses of
melanoma, which was a 36.6 per cent increase in the number of
instances over the previous 10 years. We know a lot of the
reasons for that, and I am sure that the member will know about
those, too. The important thing is what we do about it.
As I said in my initial answer, the detect cancer early
programme board agreed an options appraisal process to look at
the potential to include additional tumour groups in the DCE
programme. Following that process, it was agreed to consider
malignant melanoma as the next tumour type of interest in the
programme. The clinical consensus was that a large-scale public
awareness campaign would not be beneficial and that funding
should focus on improvements in the existing diagnostic
pathways to ensure that those who are most at risk are
prioritised as requiring urgent assessment. Boards were invited
to bid for funding to develop those local tests of change
projects for delivery and, as I said, there will be a report in
March 2018. Once we have that report, I am happy to write to
the member to set out what it says, and we will take action
thereafter depending on what the report tells us.
