Health Protection Scotland has published cancer projections based on historical trends in cancer incidence, population estimates and population projections for the country.

The report shows that the average number of new cases of cancer each year is predicted to rise from over 30,000 cases in 2008-2012 to over 40,000 cases in 2023-2027, an increase of 33 per cent. Much of this increase will be due to ageing population in Scotland.

Lung cancer is predicted to continue to be the most common cancer in 2023-2027. New cases of lung cancer are projected to increase by 29 per cent for women and 12 per cent for men between 2008-2012 and 2023-2027. Since smoking usually takes many years to lead to the development of lung cancer, this trend reflects past patterns of smoking among men and women.