Cancer sufferers choose to do something new after diagnosis

Two-thirds of cancer survivors did something they had never done before since being diagnosed with the disease, ­according to a study on how having the illness caused people to re-evaluate their lives.

Half of survivors got involved with a charity following diagnosis, while more than a third went on a dream holiday.

The figures, disclosed by the Scottish Government’s £30 million “detect cancer early” campaign, offer a snapshot of how having cancer often changes people’s lives, or their view on life.

Those affected felt a renewed sense of the importance of family and loved ones in their lives after they were found to have the disease.

Three-quarters say their children made them keep going while getting treatment for cancer, and 71 per cent say their partner motivated them to get through the tough times.

Survivors also treated themselves to one-off experiences, with 43 per cent visiting a major tourist attraction they had always wanted to see.

Other things people did following diagnosis include ending an unhappy marriage, starting a business and learning to play the piano.

The research involved 150 cancer survivors from across Scotland, mostly over the age of 55. The campaign aims to increase the number of cases detected at the earliest stage of the disease by over 25 per cent by 2016. It is focusing on breast, bowel and lung cancer, the three main cancers that affect Scots.

Breast cancer is the current focus of the campaign and is the subject of a television advert featuring actress and comedian Elaine C Smith.