LUNG cancer rates in East Lancashire are still sky-high, with death rates in Blackburn with Darwen 37 per cent above average.

In a report by the North West Cancer Intelligence Service, cases of cancer were more than 39 per cent above the expected number in Blackburn, with 23 more people dying than expected from 2001 to 2004.

Around the rest of East Lancashire, in Burnley, Hyndburn, Pendle, Rossendale and the Ribble Valley, cancer deaths were 18.5 per cent above what was expected for the area.

The expected figures, based on populations and age, estimate that around 262 people should have died from lung cancer in the four-year period, but 321 deaths were recorded.

Dr Ellis Friedman, director of public health for East Lancashire PCT, said: "The high lung cancer rate is due to a historically high level of smoking in East Lancashire and we know that smoking accounts for well over 90 per cent of lung cancer deaths.

"We are very pro-active and our stop smoking programme is very important - we are making big inroads into the number of people who smoke.

"We are also increasing awareness about improving diet and exercising so that people can help prevent cancer occuring, and improving screening all the time."

Dr Gifford Kerr, Director of Public Health for Blackburn with Darwen PCT added: "This report confirms our own findings that smoking-related cancer is by far the biggest single cause of raised cancer deaths locally.

"We are already developing plans, based on local research conducted earlier in the year, to extend and expand our specialist smoking cessation services. We also welcome the recent changes in age of sale and smoke-free legislation as being particularly important in helping to improve health and wellbeing in Blackburn with Darwen."

Lung cancer diagnosis in women in Blackburn with Darwen is 44 per cent higher than expected for the population, with incidences across East Lancashire running at 71 too many cases - a total of 366. Cases of cancer as a whole, including breast cancer and colon cancer, show a better picture, with everywhere except Blackburn with Darwen showing three fewer deaths than expected in the period.

Blackburn with Darwen's figures show 31 extra deaths for all types of cancer, with breast and colon cancer rates across East Lancashire coming in below target.