Oral cancer - UK mortality statistics

This page presents oral cancer mortality statistics including by age and sex and trends over time.

Oral cancer mortality by age and sex

Oral cancer mortality trends over time

In 2007 there were 1,851 deaths from oral cancer in the UK ( Table 2.1). 1-3

Table 2.1: Number of deaths and mortality rates, oral cancer, UK

Oral cancer mortality rates are highest for Scottish men reflecting their high incidence rates.

The predominance of male over female deaths from oral cancer at the young and middle ages is shown clearly on Figure 2.1. 1-3

Figure 2.1: Number of deaths and age-specific mortality rates, by sex, oral cancer, UK

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The overall age standardised mortality rate has remained fairly stable between 1971 and 2007 at around 3.5 and 1.4 per 100,000 for males and females respectively ( Figure 2.2). 1-3

Figure 2.2: Age-standardised (European) mortality rates, oral cancer, by sex, UK

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As with the incidence trends, the all-ages oral cancer mortality figure masks the variation in age-specific trends seen in Figure 2.3. Mortality rates among men aged 85+ have fallen by 60%, while rates in those aged 75-84 have also fallen by 52% since 1971. On the contrary, for men aged 45-64 there has been an increase of 90%. For younger men the rate has remained stable.

Figure 2.3: Oral cancer mortality rates, by age, males, UK