THE number of people surviving cancer has increased, figures revealed yesterday, as treatment of the condition improves.
Statistics released by the Scottish Government show fewer people are dying of the most common forms of the disease, such as breast, lung, prostate and bowel cancer.
However, the numbers of people surviving the less well-known cancers, such
as pancreatic cancer, brain tumours and cancer of the larynx have declined or remained the same.
The figures revealed that the chances of men surviving five years after diagnosis of most cancers has increased by 17 per cent since the early 1980s. For women, it has risen by 13 per cent.
Improvements in quality of life, as well as new medical technologies, have seen more people surviving and living longer after suffering cancer. Meanwhile, more advanced screening leads to cancers being detected earlier, which greatly increases the success of treatment.
The number of men surviving prostate cancer has increased by 34 per cent, and the chances of those living for five years after the discovery of a malignant melanoma of the skin is up by 25 per cent for men and 12 per cent for women.
However, between the periods 1980-84 and 2000-4, the chances of surviving cancers of the pancreas dipped slightly, by 0.9 per cent.
Survival rates for women suffering from brain tumours or lymphoma have also dropped, along with the chances of living after cancers of the larynx.
Nicola Sturgeon, the health secretary, said:
"Cancer treatment in Scotland is as good as anywhere in the world – with new drugs and state-of-the-art radiotherapy equipment in all of our cancer centres.
"The Scottish Government is on track to achieve our target of reducing premature cancer deaths by 20 per cent by 2010."
However, Ms Sturgeon said there was still "more to be done to make sure Scots have the best possible chances of long-term survival following a cancer diagnosis".
She added: "Early diagnosis and treatment can mean the difference between life and death. That is why cancer screening programmes and carrying out self-checks are so vital.
"Bowel cancer, for example, is the second biggest cause of cancer deaths in the UK, but if picked up early enough, it can be very treatable.
"(That is] why we are committed to rolling out the UK's most comprehensive bowel screening programme across NHS board areas.
"Evidence shows that this will save around 150 lives every year."
Ms Sturgeon also called on all Scots to take part in cancer screening if invited to do so, and particularly urged young women to attend for cervical cancer screening.
"I am concerned that the uptake rate is slow. This is in contrast with the breast screening programme, where the uptake rate is increasing."
Margaret Curran, Scottish Labour's health spokeswoman, said: "The rise in cancer survival rates in Scotland is good news for patients and testament to the hard-work and determination of the previous Scottish Executive and NHS staff across the country.
"Our investment in drugs and equipment and our commitment to driving down waiting times directly helped to reduce the incidences of deaths from cancer and kept more families together.
"The SNP government needs to continue this investment and direct resources at early diagnosis and treatment to further increase survival rates."
Jackson Carlaw, the Tories' health spokesman, also welcomed the rise in survival rates. But he said he shared Ms Sturgeon's concern over the uptake of cervical screening.
And he added: "It is important that cancer services are never over-centralised and Scotland's regions must have access to first-class services.
"There is still a lot to do, but today's figures are a positive sign."
The full article contains 623 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
