Experts calculated the rate of surgery per 10,000 people in England’s 211 health authorities, known as clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) during 2011-12. They found that in some areas, among those aged 65 and above, there were 37 breast excision procedures to remove cancerous tumours. In other parts of the country, total numbers were so low that they were calculated as a rate of zero, meaning that in total, fewer than five patients received the procedure over the year.