People who live in rural communities may be risking their lives by not consulting their doctors because they do not want to be a "burden", according to a new report.

A new study from Cancer Research UK and the Scottish Executive's department of health said rural patients were "too hesitant" in approaching or returning to see their GPs.

Researchers who compared the behaviour of patients from Scottish towns and cities to those in the countryside found city patients were far more likely to push for faster treatment after referral.

Experts believe that people in rural areas are "less demanding" and this may contribute to the lower survival rates from cancer, notably bowel cancer.

It is quite alarming to see how hesitant some rural Scottish patients are in approaching their doctors

Dr Neil Campbell

More than half of the city dwellers who are diagnosed with bowel cancer are caught in the early stages of the disease.

This compares with less than four out of 10 rural patients, who have delayed and hesitated before seeking help.

Dr Neil Campbell, the Cancer Research UK's fellow of oncology, said: "It is quite alarming to see how hesitant some rural Scottish patients are in approaching their doctors when they have symptoms.

"They seem to go to their doctor later and pursue their care less tenaciously than those living in urban areas.

"This would go a long way to explaining the poorer survival rates for some forms of cancer in rural patients in Scotland."

Bowel cancer, which can be more difficult to diagnose because its symptoms are common in other illnesses, is the third most common cancer in Scotland.

There has been a 10% rise in bowel cancer cases north of the border in the last three years.