Since the early 1990s, around 80,600 cancer deaths have been avoided in Scotland, a testament to the significant investment in world-class discovery science, research, innovation and the NHS. However, the job is far from finished. Too many families in Scotland are devastated by a cancer diagnosis and waiting too long for tests and treatments.
With cancer cases here set to increase by almost a fifth by 2040, the urgency to find new and better ways to diagnose and treat this disease is more critical than ever. Scotland stands at the forefront of world-leading science and cutting-edge cancer research – whether it’s the discovery of how bowel cancer hides from our immune systems, or the development of a urine test to detect liver cancer. I’m eager to share the remarkable work being done by our researchers to beat cancer with First Minister John Swinney on his visit to the Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute in Glasgow today.
We've also today announced a new initiative, CRC-STARS, a £5.5 million five-year project into colorectal cancer co-led by Professor Owen Sansom, Director at the Institute, alongside Professor Jenny Seligmann (University of Leeds) and Professor Simon Leedham (University of Oxford). CRC-STARS will bring together a global team to solve unanswered questions with the aim of finding kinder, better treatments for people with bowel cancer - with around 4,000 people diagnosed each year in Scotland and where incidence rates are significantly higher compared to.
