World Cancer Day set to unite the world against the disease
Scots are being urged to support World Cancer Day on Monday (February 4) as latest figures released by Cancer Research UK show lung cancer death rates in men have plummeted.
Since 1979 there have been nearly 500,000* fewer deaths in men in the UK than would have been expected if the mortality rate had stayed the same.
And in Scotland in the last 40 years lung cancer death rates in men have dropped by 50%.
Dr Daniel Murphy, a scientist who studies lung cancer at the Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute in Glasgow, said: “This decline in the number of deaths from lung cancer is certainly to be welcomed, and largely reflects choices made by informed individuals who have decided not to smoke, or to quit or reduce their smoking.”
World Cancer Day aims to raise awareness of cancer and to promote its prevention, detection and treatment. Making a donation for the brightly coloured wristband will raise funds to give people more precious time with their loved ones.
Victoria Steven, Cancer Research UK spokesperson for Scotland, said: “This World Cancer Day it’s important to celebrate how much things have improved, but also to renew our commitment to saving the lives of more people with cancer. More still needs to be done to bring down the number of people affected by lung cancer and develop better and kinder treatments.
Smoking remains the single biggest cause of lung cancer, responsible for 74% of cases in Scotland. Today 20% of men and 16% of women in Scotland smoke.
Steven added: “World Cancer Day is a great opportunity for Scots to unite and show solidarity with everyone whose life has been touched by the disease.
“We’re working every day to find new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer. But we can’t do it alone.
“By donating just £2 for a Unity Band, people in Scotland can help more men, women and children survive.”
Last year, Cancer Research UK spent around £38 million in Scotland on some of the UK’s leading scientific and clinical research.
