A major drive to tackle some of the deadliest cancers is announced by a leading British charity today. Cancer Research UK is to spend around £300m a year for five years on science aiming at improving the chances of surviving the disease.

A major drive to tackle some of the deadliest cancers is announced by a leading British charity today.

Cancer Research UK is to spend around £300m a year for five years on science aiming at improving the chances of surviving the disease.

Greater investment in research to tackle cancers which remain fatal is promised, in particular pancreatic, oesophageal and lung cancer.

Up to 20 "centres of excellence," where research, patient care, public engagement and projects to prevent people contracting cancer are all linked, will also be created.

Cancer Research UK refused to say whether they would consider siting any in Scotland.

The charity currently ploughs £18.1m into projects in Glasgow, including the Beatson Institute for Cancer Research, £6.7m into work in Dundee and £6.4m into work in Edinburgh.

Harpal Kumar, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said: "Huge progress has been made in beating cancer over the past 30 years, both through reducing the number of people getting cancer in the first place and through doubling survival. This strategy focuses our attention on those areas which will have the greatest impact on reducing cancer deaths in the future and on achieving our goals."

Survival rates have improved for almost all of the most common cancers. Breast cancer now has a 20-year survival rate of nearly 70%.

Medicine is also beginning to win the battle against testicular cancer, melanoma and Hodgkin's disease, which have 10-year survival rates of over 80%. However, only around 5% of those with pancreatic, oesophageal or lung cancer will live for this long.

Mr Kumar added that in these three cancers, there had been a defeatist attitude around the world, which has led to limited research activity, but progress was being made.

Lung cancer claims more lives in Scotland than any other type of the disease, killing 4115 patients in 2007 when 338 deaths were from pancreatic cancer and 485 from cancer of the oesophagus.

A spokeswoman for the charity said: "Cancer Research UK already carries out significant research in these fields, but prognosis remains poor.

"The charity has started to promote increased research activity in these cancers by seeking advice from leading experts from across the world to highlight which areas would benefit most from Cancer Research UK's investment."

The charity has also pledged to boost research in surgery and radiotherapy, which along with chemotherapy are the most important cancer treatments.

Research into new radiotherapy and surgical techniques has declined in recent years.

Professor Peter Johnson, the charity's chief clinician, said: "Cancer treatment is increasingly tailored to the individual patient. Through our investments in imaging and biomarker research we will accelerate this process."