Cancer incidence for common cancers - UK statistics

The ten most commonly diagnosed cancers in males in the UK in 2008 are shown in Figure 2.1 and 2.2. Colorectal cancer (also known as bowel cancer) is referred to as ‘colorectum’ in the figures and appendices, and includes anus.

Figure 2.1: The 10 Most Commonly Diagnosed Cancers in Males, UK, 2008

* Colorectum including anus (C18-C21) 
** 3% of all male cases are registered without specification of the primary site

• Download this chart (62KB)

Prostate cancer, with an age-standardised rate of 98 per 100,000 males, accounts for around one in four (24%) male cases (Figure 2.1 and 2.2), with the next most common cancers being lung (15%; even though the rate of lung cancer has fallen dramatically since the mid-1980s) and colorectal (14%). Bladder, oesophageal and stomach cancers are all fairly common in males (5%, 4%, and 3%, of all cancers, respectively), but are relatively less common in females (2% each).

Figure 2.2: The 10 Most Commonly Diagnosed Cancers in Males, Percentages of All Cancer Cases Excluding Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer (C00-97 excl. C44), UK, 2008

* Colorectum including anus (C18-C21)
** 3% of all male cases are registered without specification of the primary site

• Download this chart (80KB)

section updated 20/04/11

Breast cancer with an age-standardised rate of 124 per 100,000 women, is by far the most commonly diagnosed cancer in females, accounting for almost one-third (31%) of all female cases (Figure 2.3 and 2.4). In 2008, lung cancer overtook colorectal cancer to become the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in women, though both cancers still account for similar proportions of cases (12% each).

Two of the top ten female cancer sites are sex-specific (ovary and uterus), compared to just one site (prostate) in males.

Figure 2.3: The 10 Most Commonly Diagnosed Cancers in Females, UK, 2008

* Colorectum including anus (C18-C21)
** 4% of all female cases are registered without specification of the primary site

• Download this chart (61KB)

Figure 2.4: The 10 Most Commonly Diagnosed Cancers in Females, Percentages of All Cancer Cases Excluding Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer (C00-C97 excl. C44), UK, 2008

* Colorectum including anus (C18-C21)
** 4% of all female cases are registered without specification of the primary site

• Download this chart (78KB)

section updated 20/04/11

There are more than 200 different types of cancer, but four of them - breast, lung, large bowel (colorectal) and prostate - account for over half (54%) 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 2.5.1-4

Figure 2.5: The 20 Most Commonly Diagnosed Cancers Excluding Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer, UK, 2008

* Colorectum including anus (C18-C21)

• Download this table (68KB)

section updated 20/04/11

The percentage change in incidence rates for the top twenty cancers in males and females in the last decade show varying trends by cancer site (Figures 2.6 and 2.7, respectively). There have been large increases in the incidence of potentially avoidable cancers such as malignant melanoma, liver and oral cancers. It is worth noting that the decrease in bladder cancer incidence will have been affected by a change in coding practice that reduced the number of registrations of malignant bladder cancer from 2000 onwards. This change was recommended by the European Network of Cancer Registries and subsequently adopted and implemented by the United Kingdom Association of Cancer Registries (UKACR). 5

Figure 2.6: The 20 Most Common Cancers, Percentage Change in European Age-Standardised Three Year Average Incidence Rates, Males, UK, 1997-1999 and 2006-2008

* Colorectum including anus (C18-C21)

• Download this chart (73KB)

Figure 2.7: The 20 Most Common Cancers, Percentage Change in European Age-Standardised Three Year Average Incidence Rates, Females, UK, 1997-1999 and 2006-2008

* Colorectum including anus (C18-C21)

• Download this chart (72KB)

Malignant melanoma is the fastest increasing cancer in males and the second fastest increasing cancer in females (with age-standardised rates rising by 70% and 53%, respectively, in the last decade). Between 2007 and 2008, malignant melanoma jumped from the ninth to the sixth most common cancer in males in the UK (Figure 2.6 above). Some of the increase in both sexes may be due to increased surveillance and early detection as well as improved diagnosis, but most is considered to be real and linked to changes in recreational or holiday exposure to UV rays (including sunlight and sunbeds). 6

Liver cancer, though rare in the UK (age-standardised rates are 6 per 100,000 males and 3 per 100,000 females) is the second fastest increasing cancer in males and third in females, (increases of 38% and 28%, respectively, in the last decade) 7

Prostate cancer is the third fastest increasing cancer in males, with age-standardised rates rising by more than one-third (36%) in the last decade. The use of PSA testing for prostate cancer will have contributed to the marked increase in new diagnoses of this disease.8-10 While thyroid cancer is the fastest increasing cancer in females, with age-standardised rates rising by more than two-thirds (69%) in the last decade, it has a small disease burden (5 per 100,000 females). Increased breast cancer incidence (and subsequent treatment) may explain some of the increase.11

Another rapidly increasing cancer with a small disease burden in females is mesothelioma, (which is not among the 20 most common cancers) with age-standardised rates (1 per 100,000 females) increasing by around a half (51%) in the last decade. Most cases of mesothelioma are caused by occupational exposure to asbestos (often second-hand in females, for example, by handling contaminated work clothes). Mesothelioma has an extremely long latency period (generally around 40 years), which means that past exposure to toxic chemicals contributes new cases of this disease. 12

In the last decade there have been large decreases in stomach cancer incidence in both males and females (age-standardised rates decreasing by 33% and 29%, respectively). Much of this can be attributed to better living conditions and a decline in the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (a major cause of stomach cancer).13 Other cancers showing large decreases in incidence in the last decade include lung cancer in males (age-standardised rates decreasing by 18%), and ovarian and cervical cancers in females (12% each).

section updated 20/04/11

On these incidence pages 'cancer' includes all malignant neoplasms excluding non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC). NMSCs are often excluded from cancer statistics for several reasons. Studies have shown that NMSCs are greatly  under-ascertained in cancer registration data1-4; this is because they are often treated at GP surgeries or on an outpatient basis and the lack of a discharge record means that information is generally not conveyed to cancer registries. 

NMSCs are very common and some cancer registries only record the basal cell carcinoma primary. NMSCs are also curable  in the vast majority of cases. The numbers of cases and rates of NMSCs are included in the appendices of the latest CancerStats report on cancer incidence in 2008 for reference. 

CancerStats report appendices:  UK Countries Summary Table: Numbers of Cases and Rates for 40 types of cancer

section updated 04/05/11

Cancer of unknown primary (CUP, also known as malignancy of unknown origin or cancer registered without specification of primary site) accounts for 4% of new cancer cases. CUP is quite rare under the age of 40, with more than a half (55%) of cases being diagnosed in persons aged 75 and over. There is no standard definition of CUP, which means that the true incidence of this disease may be underestimated.14 CUP is coded by ICD-10 codes C77-C80. The numbers of new cases and incidence rates of CUP are included in the summary table for reference.

section updated 21/04/11

Across the UK, the lowest European 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). The numbers of new cases and incidence rates are summarised by cancer site and country in the summary table.

England

Men and women in England have low incidence rates for several cancers, with some showing significant differences in comparison with the rest of the UK. Colorectal cancer incidence rates are particularly low in England, with rates in males ranging from 57 per 100,000 in England to 68 per 100,000 in Scotland, and in females ranging from 37 per 100,000 in England to 44 per 100,000 in Scotland.

Other sites with particularly low rates in England include lung (males) and stomach (females). Very few cancers have particularly high rates in England in comparison with the rest of the UK.

Wales

Men and women in Wales have high incidence rates for several cancers, with some showing significant differences in comparison with the three other UK countries. The incidence of prostate cancer is particularly high in Wales, with rates ranging from 86 per 100,000 in Scotland to 120 per 100,000 in Wales. Some of this variation may be explained by differences in the availability and uptake of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing across the UK.9 

Other sites with particularly high rates in Wales include leukaemia (males) and liver cancer (females). Very few cancers have particularly low rates in Wales in comparison with the rest of the UK.

Scotland

The high prevalence of smoking in Scotland (24%, compared to 21% in England and Wales16) means that the incidence of smoking-related cancers is particularly high in this country. Lung cancer incidence rates in males range from 57 per 100,000 in England to 78 per 100,000 in Scotland, and in females from 37 per 100,000 in England to 58 per 100,000 in Scotland.

The incidence of malignant melanoma is also high in women living in Scotland in comparison with the rest of the UK. A survey of children and young people found that Scotland has the highest percentage of young sunbed users in Great Britain (almost 14%).6 The prostate cancer incidence rate is particularly low in Scotland.

Northern Ireland

Men and women in Northern Ireland have low incidence rates for several cancers, though most are not significantly different in comparison with the rest of the UK. The malignant melanoma incidence rate is low in males, with rates ranging from 15 per 100,000 in Northern Ireland to 18 per 100,000 in Scotland. The stomach cancer incidence rate is particularly high in women living in Northern Ireland, with rates ranging from 5 per 100,000 in England to 7 per 100,000 in Northern Ireland.

section updated 21/04/11