Cancer survival in Spearhead Primary Care Trusts in England
Cancer Research UK Cancer Survival Group
Dr Anjali Shah, Libby Ellis, Professor Michel P Coleman and Dr Bernard Rachet
Funded by the Office for National Statistics
The Spearhead Group
The "Spearhead Group" of areas, announced in November 2004, consists of the Local Authority areas, and the Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) which map to them, that are in the bottom fifth in England for three or more of the following five factors:
- male or female life expectancy;
- cancer or cardiovascular disease mortality rates in under 75s; and
- Index of Multiple Deprivation 2004 (Local Authority Summary), average score.
Health inequalities
The Spearhead Group is a fixed list of 70 Local Authorities, and the 62 corresponding PCTs (originally 88 PCTs, prior to the NHS reorganisation), and forms the focus for Government action to tackle life expectancy, cancer and cardiovascular disease inequalities.
Cancer survival estimates
In collaboration with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and the Department of Health, we produce estimates of cancer survival for ten of the most common cancers in adults among persons who, at the time of diagnosis, were resident in the areas of what are now Spearhead Primary Care Trusts in England, compared with those resident in the rest of England.
Publications (jointly with ONS)
Ellis, L.; Rachet, B.; Shah, A.; Walters, S.; Coleman, M.P.; Cooper, N.; Westlake, S.; Trends in cancer survival in Spearhead Primary Care Trusts in England, 1998-2004. Health Stat Q, 2009; (41):7-12
