Tag: lung cancer

Cancer death rates 80% higher in the most deprived areas of Scotland

ACTION ON SMOKING URGENTLY NEEDED

Cancer death rates are around 80% higher for people living in the most deprived areas of Scotland compared to the least deprived, a new report from Cancer Research UK reveals.

The report, titled Cancer in the UK 2025: Socioeconomic Deprivation, found that there are around 4,300 extra cancer deaths in Scotland each year linked to socioeconomic inequality. This equates to 12 additional deaths each day – around a quarter of all deaths from cancer.

Almost half of these additional deaths are caused by lung cancer, where the death rate for the most deprived areas is almost three and a half times that of the least deprived areas of Scotland.  

More than a tenth of all cancer diagnoses in Scotland are linked to deprivation. Many of these cases are caused by preventable risk factors such as smoking.   

Smoking is the biggest cause of cancer in Scotland, and rates in the most deprived parts of the country are more than four times those in the least deprived. 

cancer_in_the_uk_2025_socioeconomic_deprivationDownload

In publishing the report, Cancer Research UK is calling for urgent action to tackle these stark inequalities. 

One vital opportunity to do so is the upcoming vote in Scotland for new legislation which will see an increase in the age of sale of tobacco. 

If MSPs vote for the new Tobacco and Vapes Bill, it would become illegal to sell tobacco to anyone born after 1st January 2009.  

This vote will pave the way for the Bill to become law in Scotland, as well as the rest of the UK. 

Dr Sorcha Hume, Cancer Research UK’s public affairs manager in Scotland, said: “Where you live shouldn’t increase your risk of dying from this devastating disease. These figures are shocking and unacceptable and crucially many of these cancer deaths are avoidable. 

“With almost half of the additional deaths being caused by lung cancer, it’s clear that action on smoking is needed urgently. 

“Smoking remains the leading cause of lung cancer, a disease that is often diagnosed late when treatment options are more limited. 

“One of the ways we can prevent lung cancer is to deter people from ever taking up smoking in the first place. 

“If MSPs vote in support of the age of sale legislation in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, it could be one of the most impactful public health interventions in living memory, helping people to live longer, better lives, no matter where they live in Scotland.” 

Introducing a lung cancer screening programme in Scotland would also help address these inequalities. 

The UK National Screening Committee has recommended that all UK nations move towards implementing a national lung cancer screening programme to target those considered to be of high risk of developing lung cancer – people aged between 55 and 74 who either smoke or used to smoke.  

A targeted lung screening programme is being introduced in England, but no such commitment has been made by the Scottish Government. 

If lung screening were to be introduced, around 400 extra cases each year in Scotland could be diagnosed at an early stage (stages 1 and 2) rather than a late stage (stages 3 and 4).

Dr Hume added: “Lung screening matters because it means more people can be diagnosed at an earlier stage, when treatment is more likely to be successful. 

“Research has consistently shown that lung screening is effective at reducing deaths from cancer so it’s essential a Scotland-wide programme is introduced here as soon as possible.” 

Laura Tobin helps to raise awareness of link between air pollution and lung cancer in people who have never smoked 

The weather presenter is backing ScottishPower’s support for Cancer Research UK studies which are uncovering how air pollution causes lung cancer in people who have never smoked.  

ScottishPower has welcomed Laura Tobin to its Whitelee Windfarm – the largest onshore windfarm in the UK – to help raise awareness about air pollution, its impact on lung cancer and the need for more research. 

The TV meteorologist, whose own family has been impacted by cancer, is backing the leading renewable energy company’s support of Cancer Research UK’s studies which are investigating the link between lung cancer in people who have never smoked and air pollution.  

In the UK, it is estimated that nearly 6,000 people who have never smoked die of lung cancer each year*. Research estimates that lung cancer in people who have never smoked is the eighth most common cause of cancer death in the UK*. Outdoor air pollution causes around 1 in 10 cases of lung cancer. 

ScottishPower has been a long-standing supporter of Cancer Research UK for over ten years and is covering the cost of the TOPICAL study, which hopes to help scientists better understand the link between air pollution and lung cancer. Insights from this research could shape new ways to diagnose and treat lung cancer in people who have never smoked. 

Led by Professor Charles Swanton, Cancer Research UK’s Chief Clinician and Group Leader at the Francis Crick Institute, the study is examining the role of tiny particles in the air called PM2.5, which are derived in part from burning solid and liquid fuels. Professor Swanton and his team are looking at the relationship between these tiny air pollution particles and cases of lung cancer in people who have never smoked.  

Results from Professor Swanton’s lab** suggest that PM2.5 pollution can awaken dormant cells in the lungs carrying cancer-causing mutations, which go on to become tumours. This game-changing discovery could open new ways to prevent and treat lung cancer in people who have never smoked in the future.  

The support of this project is part of ScottishPower’s ongoing partnership with Cancer Research UK, which since 2012 has seen more than £35m raised to help beat cancer sooner – and they aren’t stopping there. 

Laura Tobin said: “Air pollution is invisible to the human eye, yet it can have a considerable effect on our health. Being at a place like Whitelee Windfarm really brings clean air to the forefront of your mind and makes you realise its importance. 

“I know from my own personal experience how important it is for us to understand how cancer starts, grows and spreads, so we can find new ways to beat it. ScottishPower’s support of Cancer Research UK’s innovative research on air pollution is breaking new ground in our understanding of lung cancer.  

“The funding ScottishPower has provided to Cancer Research UK over many years is vital to bringing forward the day when we beat cancer.” 

Whitelee is the UK’s largest onshore windfarm and is a vital part of Scotland and the UK’s transition to a clean energy future. It was awarded with a prestigious Green Flag award for its benefit to the local community and role in providing a positive, environmentally-friendly location. 

Professor Charles Swanton, Cancer Research UK’s Chief Clinician, said: “Lung cancer in people who have never smoked is more common than many people realise, and we need to understand it better.  

“Previously, we had thought that environmental carcinogens, like air pollution, directly mutated our DNA to cause cancer. But our research has revealed a new way in which air pollution can set off another molecular chain of events that leads to cancer. 

“This finding wouldn’t have happened without funding from Cancer Research UK and partners like ScottishPower. ScottishPower’s unwavering support of Cancer Research UK is helping us work towards a world where people can live longer, better lives, free from the fear of cancer.” 

Andrew Ward, CEO of ScottishPower Retail, said: “ScottishPower is committed to leading the fight against climate change, but we’re also committed to playing a leading role in the fight against cancer. 

“The simple fact is that we need to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, both for our planet and our health. At ScottishPower we’re investing heavily in clean, green electricity generation, as well as providing decarbonisation solutions for households and business, including solar panels, heat pumps and electric vehicle solutions. 

“I had the pleasure of listening to Professor Swanton when he visited us at ScottishPower HQ and it’s fantastic to hear how our partnership is helping to support such ground-breaking research. 

“Working with Laura Tobin at our iconic Whitelee Windfarm provides a really striking link to clean air to help us all understand the importance of combating air pollution and better understanding the impact it has on us. 

“I’m thrilled that studies we’ve helped to fund are already aiding research breakthroughs and we’re committed to working in partnership with Cancer Research UK in the years to come to help beat cancer sooner.” 

To find out more about ScottishPower’s partnership and support of Cancer Research UK, please visit: scottishpower.co.uk