Replies to LegCo questions

LCQ15: Breast cancer and cervical cancer

Following is a question by the Hon Leung Yiu-chung and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr York Chow, in the Legislative Council today (November 29):

Question:

Regarding the early diagnosis of breast cancer and cervical cancer, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) of the respective numbers of women who were diagnosed as having breast cancer and cervical cancer and those who died of these two types of cancers in each of the past three years, together with a breakdown by their age profile (in age groups each covering five years );

(b) of the respective numbers of women who received screening for early diagnosis of the two types of cancers in each of the past three years;

(c) whether it will provide such screening services free of charge for women who are economically deprived but not receiving Comprehensive Social Security Assistance; if it will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(d) whether it plans to launch new publicity and educational programmes to encourage more women to receive the screening concerned?

Reply

Madam President,

According to the latest statistics, both the age-standardised incidence rate and the death rate of breast cancer in Hong Kong are lower than those in European and American countries. As for cervical cancer, Hong Kong's age-standardised incidence rate is higher while the age-standardised death rate is at about the same level in comparison with those of European and American countries. My answers to the questions are set out below.

(a) The Hong Kong Cancer Registry of the Hospital Authority (HA) is responsible for collecting information in respect of newly diagnosed cancer cases from the public and most of the private hospitals and laboratories in Hong Kong. According to the data of the Registry, the numbers of newly diagnosed breast cancer and cervical cancer cases in Hong Kong in 2003 by age groups are shown in Table 1.

Figures for 2004 and 2005 are under verification and therefore not available at the moment.

According to the information of the Department of Health (DH), the numbers of registered deaths in respect of breast cancer and cervical cancer by age groups for 2003 to 2005 are shown in Table 2.

(b) Breast cancer

The Maternal and Child Health Centres of DH give clinical breast examination to all first-time users of its family planning service and users of its postnatal services. Its Women Health Centres also provide mammography screening to women at high risk. The numbers of users of such services are shown in Table 3.

We do not have the exact number of women who have received breast cancer screening in Hong Kong as statistics on women using the screening services of private doctors and private hospitals are not available. That said, in a Population Health Survey conducted jointly by DH and The University of Hong Kong in 2003 and 2004, face-to-face interviews were conducted with some 7 000 Hong Kong residents aged 15 or above. Among the respondents, 17.3% of the female aged 35 and above indicated that they had received mammography screening.

Cervical cancer

Overseas experience shows that a well-structured cervical cancer screening programme can effectively reduce the incidence and mortality of cervical cancer. In view of this, DH has taken forward the cervical cancer screening programme in partnership with other screening service providers since 2004 to encourage women to receive cervical smear tests. In the past three years, the numbers of women who have received cervical screening in the Maternal and Child Health Centres or the Women Health Centres of DH are shown in Table 4.

In April 2006, DH conducted a telephone survey on behavioural risk factors, polling a total of about 1 100 women aged between 18 and 64. Among the surveyed women, 63.5% indicated that they had received cervical screening while 55.7% received their last screening in the past three years.

(c) In Hong Kong, cervical smear test service is available in both public and private medical institutions and the service fee is generally at a level affordable to the public. As for people who are economically deprived, a medical fee waiver mechanism has been put in place to offer them assistance. For example, Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) recipients may receive free cervical smear test service provided by the Maternal and Child Health Centres and the Women Health Centres of DH. CSSA recipients at high risk of developing breast cancer may also be given free mammography screening service. For non-CSSA recipients who are economically deprived, they may apply for a full or partial fee waiver subject to a simple assessment of their family income and assets by medical social workers or other authorised persons designated by DH.

(d) DH encourages women to receive cervical screening and enhances their knowledge and awareness of breast cancer through various channels such as its website, 24-hour information hotline, pamphlets, CD-ROMs, seminars and workshops. In addition, DH plans to write to all households in Hong Kong to invite women to receive cervical smear tests. As part of the promotion and education efforts, it will also produce new TV and Radio Announcements of Public Interest as well as educational TV programme series, and distribute publicity leaflets in different languages to ethnic minorities through voluntary bodies.


Ends/Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Issued at HKT 13:25

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