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<p><del class="ministerial">No specific assessment has been made of the adequacy of
availability of follow up magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans for women who have
undergone mastectomies, to tackle lobular breast cancer.</del></p><p>£2.3 billion
was awarded at Spending Review 2021 to transform diagnostic services over the next
three years. Most of this will help increase the number of community diagnostic centres
up to 160 by March 2025, expanding and protecting elective planned diagnostic services.
The remainder of the funding will increase capacity for imaging, including MRI scans,
endoscopy as well as lung and mammography screening, and improve digital diagnostics.</p><p>Growth
in the MRI asset base and increased use of MRI acceleration software is creating additional
capacity for approximately 572,000 MRI examinations per annum within the NHS in England.</p><p>The
Department and NHS England have taken steps to improve the treatment of invasive lobular
breast cancer (ILBC) but are aware that more needs to be done. In September 2022,
the National Cancer Audit Collaborating Centre announced funding from NHS England
and the Welsh Government of £5.4 million to support delivery of six new national cancer
audits. Two of these focus on breast cancer, one on primary and one on metastatic,
and include ILBC.</p><p>Additionally, the National Institute for Health and Care Research
(NIHR) supports breast cancer research funded by research partners in the charity
and public sectors. Over the last five years, the NIHR Clinical Research Network has
supported 10 ILBC-related studies.</p>
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