A LEADING cancer charity has called for urgent action to tackle the “completely unacceptable” cancer survival gap between poor and affluent communities in Scotland.

Macmillan Cancer Support carried out what it describes as the “most comprehensive ever” analysis of the growing “cancer survival gap” for the six most common cancers and found wide variations in survival depending on where people lived.

Of those investigated, prostate cancer patients faced the biggest survival gap, with a staggering 98 per cent increased risk of death for those living in deprived areas.

Breast cancer patients from poorer areas had an increased risk of death of 89 per cent, while it was 61 per cent for head and neck cancer patients.

For colorectal patients and liver cancer patients the increased risk of death was 45 per cent and 28 per cent respectively.

Lung cancer patients faced poor outcomes regardless of their socio-economic background, the charity found.

The study, which examined the survival rate of patients diagnosed between 2004 and 2008 and followed them up until 2013, found lower rates of screening uptake and lower rates of treatment in poor areas.

Surgery was found to have the most influence on survival, indicating that those from deprived areas may be less likely to receive surgery.

Macmillan in Scotland head Janice Preston said it was “completely unacceptable that someone’s chances of surviving cancer could be predicted by their postcode.”

The charity is calling for intervention from the Scottish government, NHS and local authorities to step up cancer screening in deprived areas.

Scottish Labour health spokesman Anas Sarwar said the report was “grim and deeply concerning” and warned that the health inequality gap was widening under the SNP government.

A Scottish government spokesman said it has pledged £100 million of additional investment through its cancer strategy, which aims to reduce health inequalities.