Cancer incidence in males - UK statistics

This page presents male incidence statistics for all cancers combined (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer) and the most common cancers diagnosed the UK.

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in UK males, with over 35,500 cases diagnosed in 2006 ( Figure 3.1) - see prostate cancer section for more detailed statistics. 1-4

A chart showing the 10 most common cancers diagnosed in males, in the UK, in 2006

Download this chart (51KB)

Lung cancer is the second most common cancer for males, with around 22,300 cases diagnosed in 2006. Lung cancer incidence rates in males have been falling in the UK since the 1960s, while prostate cancer incidence has risen sharply with the increasingly widespread use of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing.

Bowel cancer is the third most common male cancer, with around 20,400 cases each year. These three cancers - prostate, lung and bowel - account for over half (53%) of all male cases.