Jump to full article: Electronic Telegraph (uk), 2009-10-27
Author: Simon Johnson, Scottish Political Editor
Intro: Soaring numbers of Scottish women are dying of lung cancer despite survival rates among men improving significantly, new figures show.
The increase also bucks the trend for death rates from other types of cancer north of the Border, all of which are going down.
Lung cancer deaths in men plummeted by 21 per cent in the 10 years to 2008, but increased by more than 11 per cent among women. . . .
However, the figures also reinforced major health differences across Scotland, with those living in the poorest areas 40 per cent more likely to have cancer than those in the wealthiest neighbourhoods.
Death rates in the most deprived communities are 75 per cent higher than those in the richest areas.
Dr Richard Simpson, Scottish Labour health spokesman, said: "I welcome the general improvement in cancer survival rates, but I am both disappointed and deeply concerned that more women are dying of lung cancer.
"This mainly reflects the increase in smoking among women over the past 20 years."
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