The "postcode lottery" does not favour poorer areas

He said: "People often describe cancer survival as a lottery, but I believe it is far worse.

"At least if you buy a lottery ticket you get an equal chance of winning, however much you earn and whatever sex you are.

"However, this is not just an issue for the Department of Health.

"We need to educate people no matter what their circumstances, to spot the tell-tale signs of cancer, insist their GP gives them a fair hearing, and push for speedy diagnosis and treatment.

"Rich or poor - that should be the right of us all."

Drugs access

Professor McVie insists that thousands of lives could be saved if Scotland's poor were given the same chance as the rich.

A spokesman for the executive said that they cannot be complacent but that everyone has equal access to high quality treatment.

The news follows calls last month for the Scottish Executive to ensure funding is available for the prescription of anti-cancer drugs.

Oncologists said they are only able to prescribe two effective drugs to women suffering breast and ovarian cancer if they agreed to clinical trials.

'Clinical suitability'

They called for the executive to make Taxol and Taxetere available across the board.

Scottish National Party health spokeswoman, Kay Ullrich, said: "It is clear that there has been postcode prescribing of cancer drugs.

"Whether you received the most effective drugs came down to where you lived and whether your local health board believed it could afford them or not.

"That, clearly, is unacceptable."

A spokeswoman for the Scottish Executive said: "The decision on whether to prescribe these drugs depends on the prescribing doctor and the main factor is clinical suitability.

"The situation is very flexible in Scotland and remains unchanged."