Overall waiting times targets are not being reached

More than a fifth of urgent referrals had to wait more than two months for treatment between 1 January and 31 March this year.

The Scottish Executive had previously promised that no-one would have to wait that long by the end of 2005.

There was an improvement in cancer waiting times, but ovarian and urology case delays have worsened.

For the last quarter of 2005, Scotland's NHS treated 74% of urgent referral cancer patients within the two months waiting target.

That figure increased to 78.5% for the first quarter of 2006.

WAITING TIMES - FIRST QUARTER OF 2006 Breast cancer - 89% Lung cancer - 86% Ovarian cancer - 89% Colorectal cancer - 71% Melanoma - 97% Lymphoma - 68% Urology - 60% Upper GI - 76% Head and neck - 68% Cancer waiting times - latest figures (external website)

The executive had pledged that by the end of 2005, all urgent cancer patient referrals would be treated within 62 days.

In May, that pledge was amended to 95% following expert advice on "clinical appropriateness".

Mr Kerr said the latest statistics represented a "step in the right direction".

He added: "We still have more to do.

"Whilst significant investment is now beginning to show some results, we must do more to translate this into real benefits for patients.

"That's why boards must not let up, but instead build on this improvement and use the targeted measures we have put in place to drive on towards meeting the 95% target."

'Postcode lottery'

The Scottish National Party claimed the figures exposed a postcode lottery in waiting times

The party's health spokeswoman Shona Robison said: "Patients must be given the best chance to survive a potentially life-threatening disease and early diagnosis is vital.

"These figures show Andy Kerr is failing to meet the problem of cancer patients waiting too long for treatment.

"The regional disparities in waiting times also expose a postcode lottery for cancer treatment which is simply not acceptable."

The executive said that more than �250m had been invested in cancer services since 2001.

It insisted on Friday that work was continuing on a number of fronts to drive down waiting times.

Hard-working staff

Mr Kerr said: "Tackling cancer has been one of our top priorities and it's a great credit to the work we are doing across the service that people are now less likely to contract the disease and, if they do, less likely to die from it.

"In Scotland we are often guilty of failing to highlight the good work we do.

"I firmly believe we are beginning to establish one of the best cancer services in the world, and these figures are testament to the hard-working staff who are making that possible.