Cancer cases in Scotland have reached a record high, with around 35,600 people now diagnosed each year.
That means around 97 people are being told they have cancer every day, according to a new report from Cancer Research UK.
The charity said the rise is mainly linked to Scotland’s ageing and growing population. It also said cancer incidence rates have increased by 3% since the early 1990s, partly due to preventable risk factors such as being overweight or obese, and better detection.
Cancer death rates in Scotland have fallen by around 19% since the early 1970s, thanks to research and improvements in prevention, detection, diagnosis and treatment.
Michelle Mitchell, Cancer Research UK’s chief executive, said: “More people are being diagnosed with cancer than ever before. Although cancer survival has doubled in the UK since the 1970s, progress has slowed over the last decade.
“Improvements in diagnosing cancer earlier, and meeting cancer waiting time targets are needed to enhance the lives of cancer patients in Scotland.
“We’ve never understood more than we do now about cancer prevention, early diagnosis, and cutting-edge treatment – it’s critical that this knowledge is harnessed and that plans are put into action to reform and support Scotland’s healthcare system.”
The report says just over half of cancer patients in Scotland are diagnosed at an early stage, and that figure has barely changed in recent years.
Cancer Research UK is calling for lung cancer screening to be rolled out across Scotland. The charity estimates this could mean around 650 more patients each year being diagnosed early rather than late.
It also wants more action on cancer prevention, including smoking, obesity and alcohol consumption. Smoking causes around 5,900 cancer cases each year in Scotland.
The charity also raised concerns about waiting times. Between October and December 2025, around 1,300 patients in Scotland waited more than 62 days to start treatment after an urgent suspected cancer referral.
Cancer Research UK said Scotland’s long-term cancer strategy must remain a priority, be fully funded and be properly delivered.
The charity has also launched a Scotland-wide bowel cancer screening campaign during Bowel Cancer Awareness Month.
The campaign, called Don’t Ignore It, encourages people to use bowel screening kits when they arrive in the post.
In Scotland, people aged 50 to 74 who are registered with a GP are sent an NHS bowel screening kit every two years. The programme aims to prevent bowel cancer or find it early, when treatment is more likely to be successful.