Prostate cancer - UK mortality statistics

Prostate cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death among men in the UK, after lung cancer. It accounts for around 14% of male deaths from cancer.

In 2009, there were 10,382 male deaths from prostate cancer in the UK (Table 2.1). 1-3 The crude mortality rate shows that there were around 34 prostate cancer deaths for every 100,000 men in the UK.

European age-standardised rates (ASRs) of prostate cancer deaths are significantly higher in England compared with Northern Ireland, but not compared with Wales or Scotland. Rates do not differ significantly between Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Table 2.1: Prostate Cancer (C61), Number of Deaths, Crude and European Age-Standardised (AS) Mortality Rates per 100,000 Population, UK, 2009

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*95% LCL and 95% UCL are the 95% lower and upper confidence limits around the AS Rate

section updated 10/01/12

Prostate cancer mortality is strongly related to age. In the UK between 2007 and 2009, an average 93% of prostate cancer deaths were in men aged 65 years and over. (Figure 2.1).1-3   Mortality rates increase sharply from the age of 60, reaching a peak at age 85+. In men aged 85 and over, prostate cancer overtakes lung cancer to be the most common cause of all deaths from cancer; almost a third (31%) of prostate cancer deaths occurred in this age group in 2007-09.

Figure 2.1: Prostate Cancer (C61) Average Number of Deaths Per Year and Age-Specific Mortality Rates, UK, 2007-2009

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section updated 10/01/12

In line with increasing incidence rates, prostate cancer mortality rates have overall increased in the UK since the early 1970s (European age-standardised mortality rates were a fifth (20%) higher in 2007-09 than in 1971-73), though this includes both an increase and decrease in rates during the time period (Figure 2.2).1-3   UK prostate cancer mortality rates were fairly stable during the 1970s but increased throughout the 1980s to a peak of 30 deaths per 100,000 men in the early 1990s. Since then, rates have fallen to around 24 deaths per 100,000 men. Part of the decrease in mortality may be attributed to PSA testing, though improvements in treatment, changes in cancer registration coding, and changes to the classification of prostate cancer deaths could all have played a part.4-9

Figure 2.2: Prostate Cancer (C61), European Age-Standardised Mortality Rates, UK, 1975-2009

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UK prostate cancer mortality rates have overall decreased since the early 1990s for all age groups except for men aged over 85 (Figure 2.3).1-3 Between 1990-92 and 2007-09, prostate cancer mortality rates decreased by 12.5% in men aged 45-54 years, 23% in 55-64 year-olds, and 28% in 65-74 year-olds, 24% in 75-84 year-olds; but increased by 2% in men over 85. Some studies have shown that older men are less likely to receive radical treatment,5,10,11 which may explain the relatively little change in mortality rates over time for this age group.

Figure 2.3: Prostate Cancer (C61), European Age-Standardised Mortality Rates, By Age, UK, 1975-2009

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section updated 10/01/12

Prostate cancer is the sixth most common cause of cancer death in men worldwide (ninth in both sexes combined), estimated to be responsible for almost 258,000 deaths in 2008 (more than 3% of the total for both sexes combined). Prostate cancer mortality rates are lowest in Eastern and South-Central Asia and highest in the Caribbean, though mortality rates vary to a much smaller degree than incidence rates, which are strongly affected by the use of PSA testing. (Figure 2.4).12

Figure 2.4: Prostate Cancer (C61), World Age-Standardised Incidence and Mortality Rates, World Regions, 2008 Estimates

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Within the 27 countries of the European Union (EU-27), the highest prostate cancer mortality rates are in Estonia (36.8 deaths per 100,000 men) and the lowest are in Malta (12.3 deaths per 100,000 men) (Figure 2.5).13 The UK prostate cancer mortality rate is the 9th highest prostate cancer mortality rates in Europe.

Figure 2.5: Prostate Cancer (C61), European Age-Standardised Incidence and Mortality Rates, EU-27 countries, 2008 Estimates

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section updated 10/01/12

Prostate cancer mortality rates are significantly lower in the most deprived areas of England and Wales as compared with the least deprived.14 However there does not appear to be a relationship between deprivation and prostate cancer mortality rates in Scotland or Northern Ireland.15,16 Prostate cancer incidence is generally higher in more affluent men.

section updated 10/01/12