• Key Facts on Cancer
• UK Cancer Incidence
• UK Cancer Mortality
  • Common Cancers
  • Age at death
  • Trends
  • Males
  • Females
• England and Wales Cancer Survival
• Cancer Projections
• Cancer Inequalities and Ethnicity
• Childhood cancer
• 26 types of cancer
• Geographic variations
• Causes of cancer
• About CancerStats Reports
• FAQs

UK cancer mortality statistics for common cancers

More than one in four (27%) of all deaths in the UK are caused by cancer.There were 155,484 cancer deaths in the UK in 2007 (Table 1.1). 1-3

Download this table (46KB)

Back to top ^

Deaths from cancers of the lung, bowel, breast and prostate together account for 47% of all cancer deaths. The 20 most common causes of death from cancer are shown in Figure 1.1.

Download this chart (48KB)

Back to top ^

More than 1 in 5 (22%) of all cancer deaths are from lung cancer. 1-3 Colorectal cancer was the second most common cause of cancer death (10%) and, despite being extremely rare in men, breast cancer was the third most common cause of cancer death in all persons (8%).

Cancer was responsible for 27% of all deaths in the UK in 2007 - 29% for males and 25% for females. 1-3

Cigarette smoking has been identified as the single most important cause of preventable death in the UK. Overall, more than a quarter of all deaths from cancer, including an estimated 90% of lung cancer deaths, are linked to tobacco smoking.4

Back to top ^

References

1. Office for National Statistics,2009 Mortality Statistics: Deaths registered in England & Wales, 2007.
2. General Register Office for Scotland, 2009 Deaths Time Series Data, 1997-2007.
3. Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency Registrar General Annual Report 2007 2009
4. Peto, R., Lopez, A.D., et al Mortality from Smoking in Developed Countries 1950-2000, second edition p498, June 2006

Back to top ^