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UK Bowel Cancer mortality statistics

This page presents colorectal cancer mortality statistics including deaths age and sex and trends over time.

In 2006 there were 15,957 deaths from colorectal cancer in the UK, comprising 10,119 from colon and 5,838 from rectal cancer.1-3 (Table 2.1)

Colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of death from cancer in the UK after lung cancer.

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Within England, mortality rates are generally higher in the north of the country. 4

Bowel cancer deaths by age and sex

The majority of deaths occurred in elderly people, 80% in people aged 65 and over and almost two-fifths in the over 80s.

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Bowel cancer mortality trends over time

In contrast to incidence trends, bowel cancer mortality has been falling fairly continuously since the early 1990s. The incidence and mortality trend for bowel cancer in the UK is shown in Figure 2.2.

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In the ten years between 1997 and 2006, the bowel cancer age-standardised mortality rates in the UK fell by 17%. This fall in mortality affected all age groups with the largest fall in the 40–69 age groups for men and the 55-79 age groups for women (Figure 2.3).

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Worldwide colorectal cancer kills around 529,000 people each year with 60% of these deaths in the more developed regions.5 Mortality rates are highest in eastern European countries such as the Czech Republic and Hungary and lowest in African and Asian countries, with the exception of Japan.(Figure 2.4)5 Within Europe, mortality rates have been declining in most European countries from the 1990s onwards and further falls are expected.6

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References for bowel cancer mortality

1. Office for National Statistics Mortality Statistics: Cause. England and Wales 2006 London TSO 2008
2. Northern Ireland Cancer Registry, 2008, Cancer Mortality in Northern Ireland, 2006
3. ISD Online, 2008, Cancer Mortality in Scotland, 2006
4. Quinn M, W.H., Cooper N, Rowan S, Cancer Atlas of the United Kingdom and Ireland 1991-2000 Office for National Statistics
5. IARC, GLOBOCAN 2002.2005 Cancer Incidence, Mortality and Prevalence Worldwide (2002 estimates).
6. Fernandez, E., et al., Converging patterns of colorectal cancer mortality in Europe. Eur J Cancer, 2005. 41(3): p. 430-7

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