One third of early deaths in Scotland caused by cancer

MORE than one in three Scottish adults who die prematurely between the ages of 25 and 74 are killed by cancer, research has revealed, a lower proportion than across the UK as a whole.

Analysis by Cancer Research UK showed that 7,869 people in Scotland die prematurely from cancer each year – an average of 37 per cent of the total who die early – compared with 2,368, or 16 per cent, who die from heart disease and 1,029, or nine per cent from respiratory diseases.

The remainder are made up of digestive disorders and other causes, including Aids.

This compares with a UK-wide figure of 40 per cent of premature deaths caused by cancer.

Cancer is one of the major killers in Scotland, with about 30,000 people being diagnosed with the disease every year, a figure that is expected to rise to almost 35,000 by 2020.

Researchers said while cancer death rates have fallen dramatically over the last 40 years, more work needed to be done.

Professor Peter Johnson, Cancer Research UK’s chief clinician, said: “We have had great success in reducing the death rate from many types of cancer in the last decade.

“But far too many people are still dying from this devastating disease and we clearly have much more work to do.”

Earlier this year, the Scottish Government launched the £30 million Detect Cancer Early Implementation Plan to promote awareness of the symptoms of the disease for early diagnosis and treatment. It is hoped the scheme will save more than 300 lives.

Pancreatic and lung cancer sufferers have the lowest five-year survival rates – with only around four per cent of people surviving pancreatic cancer for more than five years and about seven per cent surviving lung cancer for at least five years.

In Scotland, more than six per cent of patients diagnosed with bowel cancer died within a month of diagnosis.

Dr Julie Sharp, senior science information manager at Cancer Research UK, said: “Cancer is the disease that kills more people than any other major illness.

“We must redouble our efforts to ensure our research continues to find new ways to improve and refine diagnosis and treatment so that cancer becomes a disease people live with, rather than die from, irrespective of the type of cancer or their age.”

A Scottish Government spokesman said that cancer mortality rates in Scotland have decreased by almost 12 per cent during the past decade.

“However, clearly, improving cancer outcomes – on all fronts – is a key health priority for NHS Scotland and we have put in place a wide range of measures to minimise the impact of the rising trend in the incidences of cancer, including our prevention of obesity strategy, our legislative programme for tobacco sales, and efforts to increase physical activity rates.”