Thousands of Scots with cancer are living in fear of Covid-19, according to research by Macmillan Cancer Support.
About 38,000 people with cancer in Scotland – 15 per cent of those who have the disease – have barely left the house because they are scared about catching the virus.
Melissa McNaughton, 31, a blood cancer patient, from Glasgow, said: “I’ve never had anxiety but being in lockdown made me anxious to leave my flat.
"I’ve had a couple of panic attacks and I’ve felt so trapped.
“Usually if I’m anxious or nervous about something I will go for a walk or a drive but I’ve not been able to do that. It’s been horrible.”
Adrienne Chaplin, 70, from Edinburgh, is going through treatment for breast cancer.
She said: “I’ve found the lockdown very hard and feel like I’m in the twilight zone.
“For the first time in three months I went for a walk on my street with my son and spoke to a few neighbours from a distance.
"That’s the most exciting thing I’ve done.”
Macmillan’s head of services in Scotland Janice Preston said: “The Government must urgently deliver on its plan to get the cancer care system back on track, including an explicit recognition of the importance of ensuring people are still offered emotional and practical help.”
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “We are working with the NHS and all relevant stakeholders to consider how services can be resumed as quickly and as safely as possible.”
