Every year, about 30,000 people in Scotland are told they have cancer and trends predict that the number is likely to rise to almost 35,000 in 2016-2020. The total number of people diagnosed with the disease is increasing year on year, largely due to the increasing number of elderly people in the population and the fact that life expectancy is increasing.
Over the last 20 years, almost all cancers have shown improvement in survival five years after diagnosis and survival from cancer in Scotland is similar to that in England and Wales.
In the last decade, overall cancer mortality rates have decreased. Cancer remains a national clinical priority for the Scottish Government and NHSScotland and Better Cancer Care was launched in October 2008 to set out a series of actions and key priorities that will make a real difference to the services and support provided in Scotland.
More information on how these actions are being delivered is available on the Scottish Cancer Taskforce and Sub Groups pages.
News and events
On 20 August 2009, the Living with Cancer Group hosted 'The BIG Cancer Conversation', an agenda setting event for patients, carers, health practitioners and representatives from relevant voluntary organisations to look at issues affecting those living with and beyond cancer and inform the group's work programme. Click on the links to read the summary and full reports of the event.
The Prostate Cancer Risk Management Programme pack has been updated and is available for download. It has been sent to general practitioners across NHS Scotland, urologists and histopathologists working in Scottish hospitals and also those working in Scottish PSA testing laboratories.