A new plan has been launched by the Scottish government, aimed at increasing the number of cancer patients whose disease is detected at an early stage.
The draft Detect Cancer Early Implementation Plan is now open for consultation and is designed to save more than 300 lives a year.
To begin with, the £30 million scheme will focus on breast, bowel and lung cancer - the three most common cancers in Scotland.
It should help to increase participation in screening programmes, raise awareness of the early signs and symptoms of cancer, and encourage GPs to refer or investigate patients who may have the disease.
Scottish health secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: 'Scotland has made good progress in cancer treatment during the last two decades.
'However, Scotland continues to lag behind other parts of Europe for patient cancer survival rates. And with an aging population, the incidence of cancer is set to increase and require more complex treatments.'
Ms Sturgeon added that earlier detection may mean patients can be given less aggressive treatment.
Sarah Woolnough, director of policy at Cancer Research UK, commented that late diagnosis is one of the main reasons for Scotland's poor cancer survival rates compared with the best performing countries in the world.
She added: 'When cancer is detected early, treatment is more likely to be effective.'