Scottish cancer cases rise by 15% after pandemic drop

Cases of cancer in Scotland increased by almost 15% in a year after dropping in the first 12 months of the pandemic.

New figures show more than 35,379 new cases were detected in 2021.

Public Health Scotland said the 2020 fall in numbers was "largely due to under-diagnosis caused by Covid restrictions", including the temporary pause of screening programmes.

However the 2021 figures were 5.5% higher than pre-pandemic levels in 2019.

The annual update of cancer incidence statistics have also highlighted continuing inequalities in cancer occurrence.

The data showed the overall risk of developing cancer was 30% higher in the most deprived parts of the country than the least deprived.

The most common cancers in 2021 were lung, breast, bowel and prostate, with these together accounting for more than half (54%) of all cases.

Lung cancer remained the most common cancer overall, with 5,476 cases diagnosed in 2021, accounting for 15.5% of all cancers.The report said that from mid-March 2020, Covid-19 had a huge impact on all aspects of cancer control.

After the initial disruptions in 2020, the following year saw higher numbers of cancer diagnoses, driven by a period of catching up along with long-term increases in the size of the older population, who are more at risk of the disease.

The figures showed slightly more cases amongst females than males, with 17,779 women diagnosed with the disease compared to 17,600 men.

The report said: "While welcome reductions in smoking prevalence have occurred in Scotland, there remains considerable potential to prevent cancers through further reductions in smoking, reducing overweight and obesity, improving diet and reducing alcohol consumption."

The data also showed 5,180 cases of breast cancer in 2021 - 14.6% of all cancers, with all but 37 cases occurring in females.

Meanwhile, there were 4,279 cases of bowel cancer and 4,265 cases of prostate cancer - with both these forms of the disease each making up 12.1% of all cancers diagnosed that year.

More than three quarters (77%) of those diagnosed with cancer in 2021 were over 60.

It is estimated that two in five (40%) people in Scotland will be diagnosed with some form of cancer in their life - though this includes some cancers that may have no detrimental impact on life expectancy, such as slow-growing prostate tumours.

A Scottish government spokesman said: "The earlier cancer is diagnosed, the easier it is to treat. This is why we continue to invest in our Detect Cancer Earlier (DCE) Programme, which adopts a whole systems approach to diagnosing and treating cancer as early as possible.

"Public awareness campaigns and messaging have run throughout the pandemic to encourage those with possible cancer symptoms to seek help.

He added a new public awareness campaign, Be the Early Bird, was launched earlier this month.

The spokesman said: "This campaign has targeted areas of deprivation to reduce the inequalities gap.

"We are also committed to ensuring equitable access to early diagnosis which is why we continue to invest in our Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services across Scotland, with three live and a further two coming on stream in the next few weeks."