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UK cancer incidence statistics for common cancers

Cancer is a major cause of morbidity in the United Kingdom (UK).This page presents incidence statistics for all cancers combined (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer) and the most common cancers diagnosed in the UK.

Each year more than a quarter of a million people are newly diagnosed with cancer (Table 1.1).1-4

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There are more than 200 different types of cancer, but four of them – breast, lung, large bowel (colorectal) and prostate – account for over half of all new cases.1-4 Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK despite the fact that it is rare in men. The 20 most commonly diagnosed cancers in the UK are shown in Figure 1.1.1-4

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Non-melanoma skin cancer incidence statistics

Even though non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is a very common condition, it is curable in the vast majority of cases. In 2004, over 72,000 cases were registered but registration is known to be incomplete. It has been estimated that at least 100,000 cases are diagnosed each year in the UK5. NMSC is therefore routinely omitted from the overall total for new cases of cancer.

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References

1. Office for National Statistics, Cancer Statistics registrations: registrations of cancer diagnosed in 2004, England. Series MB1 no.35., London: National Statistics.
2. ISD Online. Cancer Incidence, Mortality and Survival data.Accessed 2007
3. Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit, Cancer Incidence in Wales. 2007
4. Northern Ireland Cancer Registry. Cancer Incidence and Mortality. Accessed 2007
5. Holme, S.A., K. Malinovszky, and D.L. Roberts, Changing trends in non-melanoma skin cancer in South Wales, 1988-98. Br J Dermatol, 2000. 143(6): p. 1224-9.

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