BREAST cancer cases have reached a record high in the Lothians, new figures have revealed.
A total of 678 women were diagnosed by doctors in 2005, the most recent figures available.
Cases have almost doubled in the 20 years since they were first collated in 1985.
However, overall, cancer rates fell among both men and women in the yea
r up to 2005.
NHS Lothian believes its breast cancer awareness and early diagnosis is improving all the time, which could be why figures are rising.
Elaine Anderson, lead clinician and breast surgeon with the south east of Scotland breast screening service, said: "We are using health promotion material to publicise the programme and working with GPs to identify women eligible for screening and encourage them to attend.
"We also have mobile breast screening units, which we take round shopping centres such as the Gyle, the Almondvale centre in Livingston and other locations, to make attending screening easier for women."
Lothian health chiefs hired more consultants and radiographers after being labelled as one of the worst performing boards in Scotland in a new report on cancer waiting times last year.
In the first three months of 2007, some patients waited as long as six months from urgent GP referral to treatment, and one-fifth of patients had to wait longer than the two-month target.
Waiting times are understood to have fallen since, but health chiefs are not content with the situation and announced they would spend £500,000 to hire two new consultants, two radiographers, a surgeon and a biomedical scientist. Two extra theatre sessions a week were also made available to breast cancer patients from September last year.
NHS Lothian has also worked hard to reduce levels of prostate cancer among men and colorectal cancer among people in general – two which can remain hidden because of people's embarrassment.
Earlier this year, the city council, West Lothian Council's community health and care partnership, and NHS Lothian distributed information posters and leaflets in GP surgeries, hospitals, supermarkets, libraries and community centres.
Meanwhile, bowel cancer testing kits are being sent out to tens of thousands of people between the ages of 50 and 74, who are most at risk of contracting the disease. Again it is hoped that men, who are often reluctant to get themselves checked out, will particularly benefit.
