THOUSANDS of extra cancer cases each year are linked to deprivation in Scotland, a charity found today.

The Cancer Research UK research highlighted the “stark” and “unacceptable” health inequalities facing cancer patients north of the border and called for action to tackle them.

It comes after a recent Public Health Scotland report found that people living in Scotland’s most deprived areas are 74 per cent more likely to die from cancer than those in the least deprived.

Cancer Research UK found that those living in the poorest areas of Scotland are more at risk of developing cancer than those in more affluent communities, and are more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage when it can be harder to treat successfully.

The charity is calling on the Scottish government to develop a “bold, ambitious and fully funded” strategy to ensure no-one with cancer is disadvantaged because of where they live or due to financial pressures.

Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said: “It is unacceptable that people in Scotland are 74 per cent more likely to die from cancer if they live in an area of higher deprivation.

“Right now, people from more deprived populations are more likely to develop cancer, are less likely to take up their invite for cancer screening and face greater barriers to seeking help for potential cancer symptoms.

The report found that smoking and excess weight, the “two biggest causes of cancer,” remain persistently high among Scotland’s more deprived populations.

A Scottish government spokesman said it continues to invest in its Detect Cancer Early Programme, initially launched in 2012.