Cancer incidence for all cancers combined

Around 309,500 people were diagnosed with cancer in the UK in 2008 (Table 1.11-4). The crude rate shows that this equates to around 504 cases for every 100,000 people. The European age-standardised rate (which provides unbiased comparisons between different populations with respect to age) in males is considerably higher than the rate in females (417 per 100,000 vs. 366 per 100,000, respectively).

Table 1.1: All Malignant Neoplasms Excluding Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer (C00-C97 excl. C44), Number of New Cases, Crude and European Age-Standardised (AS) Incidence Rates per 100,000 Population, UK, 2008

*95% LCL and 95% UCL are the 95% lower and upper confidence limits around the AS Rate

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section updated 20/04/11

The European age-standardised incidences rate for all cancers in Great Britain increased by 16% in males and 34% in females during the period 1977-1979 and 2006-2008, with almost this entire rise occurring before the late 1990s. Incidence rates for Great Britain increased in males from 368.3 per 100,000 in 1979 to 416.7 per 100,000 in 2008, and in females from 273.9 per 100,000 to 365.7 per 100,000 (Figure 1.1). Over the last ten years in Great Britain, the age-standardised rate has stabilised at around 415 per 100,000 in males and 355 per 100,000 in females.

Figure 1.1: All Malignant Neoplasms Excluding Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer (C00-C97 excl. C44), European Age-Standardised Incidence Rates, Great Britain, 1975-2008

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UK cancer incidence trends in the ten-year period 1998 to 2007 have remained fairly constant. Male rates increased slightly but have now returned to the late 1990s level. Female rates have increased slightly (by around 3%) (Figure 1.2) 

Figure 1.2: All Malignant Neoplasms Excluding Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer (C00-C97 excl. C44), European Age-Standardised Incidence Rates, UK, 1993-2008

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Figure 1.3 shows the trend in incidence and mortality rates for all cancers combined, excluding non-melanoma skin cancer, in Great Britain.

Figure 1.3: All Malignant Neoplasms, Excluding Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer (C00-C97 excl. C44)  European Age-Standardised Incidence and All Malignant Neoplasms (C00-C97) AS Mortality Rates, Persons, Great Britain, 1975-2008

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                        section updated 20/04/11

Across the UK, the lowest age-standardised rates are seen in England for both sexes (411 per 100,000 in males and 361 per 100,000 in females, respectively), whereas the highest age-standardised rates are seen in Wales for males and Scotland for females (463 per 100,000 and 403 per 100,000, respectively). More detail can be found in the summary of numbers and rates by UK country.

section updated 21/04/11