UK Pancreatic Cancer incidence statistics
This page presents pancreatic cancer incidence statistics including, age and sex, trends over time and histology. The ICD code for pancreatic cancer is ICD9 157, ICD10 C25.
Pancreatic cancer is the 11th most common cancer in the UK, with an average of 21 cases diagnosed every day.
The pancreas is situated in a deep location, flat against the back of the abdomen behind the stomach and small intestine. It is part of the digestive system and is a large gland that makes digestive juices and insulin ( Figure 1.1)
The prognosis for people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer is poor, partly due to non-specific symptoms which leads to the disease being diagnosed at a late stage, and partly because of the location of the pancreas.
Pancreatic cancer incidence
In 2006 there were 7,660 newly diagnosed cases of pancreatic cancer in the UK. Although there are a similar number of cases in males and females, the age-standardised rates are higher for males. ( Table 1.1) 1-4.
It has been estimated that the lifetime risk of developing pancreatic cancer is 1 in 86 for men and 1 in 86 for women in the UK. These were calculated on February 2009 using incidence and mortality data for 2001-2005 5
Figure 1.21-4 shows that the age-specific incidence rates increase with age, rates start to rise significantly in people aged 45 and over. Around three-quarters (74%) of pancreatic cancer cases occur in people aged 65 years or over.
The poor prognosis for pancreatic cancer means that trends in incidence and mortality follow a very similar pattern. Figure 1.3 shows the incidence and mortality rates for males and females from 1975 to 2007. 1-4,6,7,10.
The age-standardised rates for men have been declining steadily since the late 1970s, whereas the rates for women have remained at a fairly constant level. The decrease for males partly reflects the decline in smoking prevalence, as smoking accounts for up to 20% of pancreatic cancer cases in the UK.
The pancreas cancer incidence trend for the UK is shown in Figure 1.4.
Around 95% of pancreatic tumours are adenocarcinomas, originating from the exocrine (digestive enzyme-producing) part of the pancreas. Nearly all of these are ductal adenocarcinomas.
There are also three rarer types of exocrine pancreatic cancer, for which the treatment followed is more or less the same as for ductal adenocarcinoma. Endocrine tumours of the pancreas exist too, arising from the islets of Langerhans (which produce several hormones including insulin), but are rare.
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References for pancreatic cancer incidence
- Cancer Registrations in Wales, 2009 Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit
- Northern Ireland Cancer Registry, 2009 Cancer Incidence and Mortality.
- ISD Online, 2009 Cancer Incidence, Mortality and Survival data. Accessed 2009
- Office for National Statistics, 2009 Cancer Statistics registrations: registrations of cancer diagnosed in 2006, England.
- Statistical Information Team, Cancer Research UK, 2009
- Office for National Statistics, Mortality statistics: cause. England & Wales, 2004. DH2 No.32. 2007, London: TSO.
- Northern Ireland Statistics & Research Agency, Annual report of the Registrar General. 2005.
- IARC. GLOBOCAN 2002. Cancer Incidence, Mortality and Prevalence Worldwide (2002 estimates). Accessed 2004
- Adami, H.O., D. Hunter, and D. Trichopoulos, Textbook of Cancer Epidemiology. Vol. 2002, Oxford University Press: New York
- ISD Online, 2009 Cancer Mortality in Scotland, 2007
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