NHS Scotland has met the national target to treat 95% of urgently referred cancer patients within two months for the first time.
Latest statistics show that in the period 1 October to 31 December 2008, 95.45% of patients across Scotland began treatment within 62 days of urgent referral.
This is up from 94.6% in the previous quarter and 84.5% in January-March 2007.
The target was set in 2001 and was originally due for delivery in 2005. Opening a new linear accelerator at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, health secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: "The achievement of this key cancer waiting times target on a national basis is a significant achievement and testimony to the hard work of all our NHS staff.
"The improvement since this government took office in May 2007 shows how seriously we take this issue. But we must continue to strive for further improvement within specific NHS Boards and cancer types, and to ensure this achievement is sustained for the future.
"Nevertheless, hitting the 95% target gives us a strong foundation as we work towards our new and very ambitious goal to start treatment for all cancer patients within 31 days from a decision to treat by December 2011.
"A cancer diagnosis is always extremely worrying for patients and they deserve the shortest possible wait between a decision to treat and that treatment starting.
"This government and our NHS partners will channel every effort into making sure cancer patients are treated swiftly and to the very highest standards."
For all reported cancers, of 2,368 urgent referrals, 2,258 – or 95.4 per cent – began their treatment within 62 days.
Percentages of all cancer patients treated within 62 days against 95% target:
Ayrshire and Arran - 96.3%
Borders - 100%
Dumfries and Galloway - 92.8%
Fife - 93.4%
Forth Valley - 97.7%
Grampian - 95.7%
Greater Glasgow and Clyde - 95.3%
Highland - 95%
Lanarkshire - 95.3%
Lothian - 95.6%
Orkney - 100%
Shetland - 100%
Tayside - 94%
Western Isles - 92.3%
Percentage of patients treated within 62 days of urgent referral by cancer type :
Breast - 98.9%
Colorectal - 92.3%
Head and Neck - 87.9%
Lung - 95.5%
Lymphoma - 93.9%
Melanoma - 90.2%
Ovarian - 97.7%
Upper GI - 94.5%
Urology - 97.4%
All Cancers - 95.4%
Under the Scottish Government's action plan, Better Cancer Care, the current 62 day target will be amended to all patients urgently referred with a suspicion of cancer and extended to include patients who are referred through the national cancer screening programmes.
The action plan also sets a new target that by 2011 all patients diagnosed with cancer, whatever the route of referral, will start treatment within 31 days from the date of decision to treat.
• Scotland is to invest more than £20 million over the next year to ensure the country's radiotherapy equipment remains at the cutting edge.
The investment is being allocated from the Radiotherapy Equipment Replacement programme to all of Scotland's five cancer centres. The amount is determined by the current need for replacing equipment in the following areas:
• £3.116 million for NHS Grampian;
• £2.417 million for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde;
• £9.28 million for NHS Highland;
• £4.759 million for NHS Lothian;
• £1.018 million for NHS Tayside.
The programme will be overseen by the Scottish Radiotherapy Advisory Group.
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