The Commission for Rural Communities has given cancer patients in rural areas the chance to comment on their experiences.

A new report, titled "Insights from users and providers of cancer care in rural England", highlights the views of patients, their families and those of service providers, and suggests living in the countryside can significantly affect the quality of cancer care.

There are particular challenges associated with running awareness campaigns and screening services in rural areas, while difficult or costly journeys to hospital place extra strain on patients.

The provision of care for discharged cancer patients remote from health services and with poor public transport is a further concern.

With 250,000 cancer cases every year in England, and survival rates lagging behind the rest of Europe, the CRC's research suggests new ways of working are needed to improve health outcomes for cancer patients in rural areas.

The CRC, Macmillan Cancer Support and Department of Health are therefore bringing together key people in cancer care to develop solutions to the problems facing rural cancer patients.

CRC chief executive Sarah McAdam said: "Rural cancer patients told us about the pain and discomfort of regular and lengthy journeys to remote treatment centres and about the considerably increased costs they faced as a result.

"We are therefore supportive of any measures that enable cancer services to be delivered closer to people's homes."

Ciarán Devane, chief executive of Macmillan Cancer Support, added: "More people are surviving cancer and the NHS needs to focus more attention on meeting their long-term needs.

"Blood clots, nerve damage and depression are just some of the physical and emotional long-term problems that affect cancer survivors.

"However, people who have finished treatment for cancer are often overlooked by health and social care services. Those living in sparsely populated rural areas can suffer the greatest isolation and more needs to be done to help them."