Plea for action after Scotland sees a record 16,100 cancer deaths

deprived areas have incidence ratesthatare36percenthigher than the least deprived areas.

Mortality rates for all cancers combined are 76 per cent higher in the most deprived compared with the least deprived areas.

Cancers associated with smoking tend to be strongly correlated with deprivation. Cancers of the lung, oral cavity, and larynx had the highest incidence and mortality rates in the most deprived areas.

For cancer of the trachea, bronchus and lung, incidence and mortality rates are three times higher in the most deprived areas compared with the least deprived areas.

Five types of the disease – lung cancer, bowel cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer and oesophageal cancer – were responsible for more than half of all cancer deaths in Scotland last year, with lung cancer killing 4,069 alone.

Gregor Mcnie, Cancer Research UK’S head of external relations in Scotland, said more staff were required to treat the disease.

“It’s clear cancer continues to have a devastating impact in Scotland,” he said. “Thanks to advances in research, new and better treatments are coming on stream which will help more people survive.

“Too many people are diagnosed when their cancer has already spread and is harder to treat. If we can diagnose more cancers earlier, it’s likely more people will survive. To do this, we need to make sure that people with suspected cancer are offered the right tests.”

He added: “We know staff shortages are currently having an impact on patients receiving efficient access to diagnostic tests. We would urge the Scottish Government to urgently progress its plans to employ more people.”

Lib Dem health spokesman Alex Cole-hamilton said the statistics demonstrated the need to tackle “scandalous” cancer waiting times.

Mr Cole-hamilon quoted last month’s figures which revealed only 84.6 per cent of cancer patients were seen within the 62-day waiting time target for the quarter 1 April to 30 June 2018.

Scottish Labour said the figures showed the need to tackle poverty and inequality in Scotland, as well as invest in NHS services.

Shadow health secretary Miles Briggs said: “It’s fair to say that when a population increases and becomes older, the number of people ultimately dying of cancer is also going to rise. But the fact the number of deaths has now reached a record high must still be cause for concern.”

Health secretary Jeane Freeman said: “It is encouraging that the figures in this latest report show a downward trend in cancer mortality rates over the last ten years. This is a reflection of the fact that more people are surviving cancer as a result of early detection and better treatment methods.”