
UK Bladder Cancer statistics
This page presents key bladder cancer incidence, survival
and mortality statistics, and the main risk factors for
bladder cancer. A table of the latest bladder cancer statistics is also available.
You can download a PDF of the
CancerStats Key Facts on Bladder Cancer page.
The bladder cancer statistics on these pages are designed for health professionals. If you are looking for
information because you or someone you know has been affected by bladder cancer , then the CancerHelp UK pages on bladder cancer may be more useful and relevant. CancerHelp
UK also includes a straightforward guide to understanding
statistics.
How common is bladder cancer?

- Bladder cancer is the seventh most common cancer in the UK.
- In 2006 more than 10,200 people were diagnosed with bladder cancer in the UK, that’s around 28 people
every day.
- There are more than twice as many cases of bladder cancer in men than in women.
- In the UK, bladder cancer is the eleventh most common cancer in women, with almost 3,000 new cases each
year.
- Bladder cancer is the fourth most common cancer in UK men, with around 7,300 new cases each year.
- Eight in 10 cases of bladder cancer occur in people over the age of 65.
- Worldwide, an estimated 356,600 new cases of bladder cancer are diagnosed each year.
Read more in-depth UK bladder cancer incidence statistics.
How many people survive bladder cancer?
- Bladder cancer survival rates have improved in the last 30 years. Around 66% of men and 57% of women with
bladder cancer survive for at least five years after diagnosis.
- Bladder cancer survival rates are higher for patients diagnosed at a younger age.
Read more in-depth UK bladder cancer survival statistics.
How many people die from bladder cancer?
- Bladder cancer is the eighth most common cause of cancer death in the UK.
- Bladder cancer is responsible for the deaths of 4,900 people each year in the UK, that is around 95 people
every week.
- Almost nine in ten deaths from bladder cancer are in people over the age of 65.
- The bladder cancer death rate in men has decreased by almost 30% in the last fifteen years.
Read more in-depth UK bladder cancer mortality statistics.
What are the main causes of bladder cancer?

- Smoking cigarettes is the major preventable risk factor for bladder cancer.
- Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) during childhood may increase the risk of bladder
cancer.
- The risk of getting bladder cancer increases with age.
- It is estimated that between 5 and 10% of male bladder cancer cases in Europe are caused by occupational
exposure to certain chemicals - this proportion may be higher in countries with less regulated industrial
processes.
- People with a first-degree relative who has been diagnosed with bladder cancer have a higher risk of
developing the disease.
- High bladder cancer incidence rates in parts of Africa and the Middle East are caused by urinary
schistomosiasis, a parasitic disease contracted from infected water which is endemic in these areas.
Read more in-depth bladder cancer risk factors.
| Bladder cancer - UK |
Males |
Females |
Persons |
Number of new cases (UK 2006) |
7,307 |
2,957 |
10,264 |
Rate per 100,000 population* |
19.4 |
5.9 |
11.8 |
Number of deaths (UK 2007) |
3,283 |
1,635 |
4,918 |
Rate per 100,000 population* |
8.1 |
2.8 |
5.0 |
Five-year survival rate (for patients diagnosed 2000-2001**, England & Wales) |
66% |
57% |
- |
*age-standardised to the European population
** period estimates
Why not browse our other bladder cancer information...
Page last updated:
29 June 2009