People living in more deprived areas in Scotland are more likely to get cancer and die from the disease than those in less deprived areas, a new report has highlighted.
The Cancer in the UK: Deprivation and cancer inequalities in Scotland report from Cancer Research UK has warned of a significant ‘postcode lottery’ when it comes to cancer care, support, and survival rates in Scotland.
Cancer death rates are a startling 74% higher in the most deprived populations than the least deprived, it argued.
It also estimated that around 4,900 extra cancer cases each year in Scotland are because of deprivation. That’s 13 extra new diagnoses per day that could be avoided if the most deprived areas had the same cancer rates as the least deprived, the charity said.
Scotland has the highest proportion of cancers caused by preventable risk factors than any other UK nation, the report warned.
Smoking is the biggest cause of cancer in Scotland, responsible for nearly one in five cases. But smoking is also more common in the most deprived populations. In 2019, 32% of people in the most deprived population smoked, compared to 6% in the least deprived.
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The Scottish government has set a ‘tobacco-free’ target of less than 5% of adults smoking by 2034. “However, based on current trajectories, smoking prevalence for the most deprived may not even reach 10% in the next 25 years. Therefore, without sustained efforts to reduce smoking in the more deprived groups, these groups will experience a higher risk of getting cancer for many decades to come,” the report warned.
When it comes to early diagnosis and access to treatment, the report identified a large gap in the uptake of cancer screening invitations.
For breast and bowel screening, for example, uptake is 20 percentage points lower in the most deprived populations compared to the least deprived.
Among deprived groups, there is reduced awareness of some cancer symptoms and people are more likely to report barriers to seeking help.
Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said: “The Scottish government is developing a new cancer strategy, which aims to slow the rate of increase in cancer incidence and improve cancer outcomes over the next decade to 2033.
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“I’m pleased that reducing cancer inequalities has been identified as a goal. This report from Cancer Research UK highlights key inequalities across the cancer pathway and where we need to make changes – reducing preventable causes of cancer, taking bold action to diagnose cancers earlier, ensuring equitable access to optimal treatments and improving the quality and availability of data.
“The new cancer strategy is a once-in-a-generation opportunity which must be seized. Now is the time to go further, faster and ensure that beating cancer means beating cancer for everyone,” Mitchell added.
