Oesophageal cancer - UK mortality statistics

Oesophageal cancer mortality statistics can be found here, including by age and sex, and trends over time up to 2008. Top line mortality for 2009 only can be found on the Data table: Cancer cases and deaths in the UK

The latest cancer incidence statistics available for the UK are for 2009, and for mortality the latest statistics are for 2010. We are currently working to update all the incidence and mortality pages on this site. Find out why more up to date statistics are not yet available.

Oesophageal cancer mortality by age and sex

Oesophageal cancer mortality trends over time

The numbers of oesophageal cancer deaths and their age distribution is very similar to the incidence data shown on the incidence page - this is due to the poor prognosis for this disease.

In the UK 7,606 people died from oesophageal cancer in 2008 (Table 2.1). 1-3

Number of deaths and mortality rates of oesophageal cancer in the UK

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Oesophageal cancer is responsible for around 5% of all cancer deaths, making it the sixth most common cause of cancer death overall, the fourth in men and the sixth in women.

Figure 2.1 shows the numbers of deaths and age-specific mortality rates by sex for oesophageal cancer in the UK for 2008. 1-3

Numbers of deaths and age-specific mortality rates by sex for oesophageal cancer in the UK

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Mortality rates for males have risen sharply over the last thirty years in the UK as illustrated in Figure 2.2. The male European age-standardised rate per 100,000 population between 1971 and 2008 rose from 7.8 to 13.3, an increase of around 70%. The corresponding rates for women were 4.1 to 4.8.

Age-standardised (European) mortality rates for oesophageal cancer, by sex, in the UK