Almost half of Scotland's population can expect to contract cancer at some point during their lifetime, according to a new study.

The Cancer Research Campaign (CRC) says the high disease rates here may be due to smoking and a poor diet.

But on a more positive note the campaign says more Scottish people are surviving cancer than ever before.

At present, Scottish men have cancer rates up to 26% higher than their English counterparts, while Scottish women are 23% more susceptible to the disease.

Experts say one reason for the increase is that Scots are living longer. But they warn that smoking and poor diet are also key, preventable factors.

On Tuesday, the CRC highlighted the extent of cancer in the UK as whole, but these new figures released on Wednesday focus specifically on Scotland which already has one of the world's worst rates of coronary heart disease.

New treatments

The campaign says the proportion of the population suffering from cancer has risen significantly over the past 20 years, with four in 10 people expected to develop it.

But experts add that new treatments are likely to mean the disease may well become controllable within 50 years.

Director general of the CRC Professor Gordon McVie said: "The official figures moved just at the turn of the year from one in three people getting cancer to two out of five people getting cancer at some time in their lives.

"On the other hand, the research that we've invested in the last 20 or 30 years has borne fruit and, in fact, cure rates have gone up.

"Fewer people, despite the rise in incidence, are actually dying of cancer."

Resource use

Scottish Health Minister Susan Deacon said: "Resources, are in fact, being directed into this area to a very great degree across Scotland, but the key point is that we have got to get better at using these resources.

"I think we are leading the way in Scotland in the way that we're doing that, the way that we're organising cancer services, but today's report just reinforces the message that we've got to keep doing that."

Latest statistics for England and Wales show that in 1996, 41% of men and 38% of women were at risk of developing cancer in their lifetime.

In 1981 the statistics were 32% of men and 31% of women.

The projected increase is partly due to the fact people are living longer, with most cancer patients developing the disease over the age of 65