- All Cancers
- UK Cancer Mortality
- England and Wales Cancer Survival
- Childhood cancer
-
26 types of cancer
- Bladder cancer
- Bone cancer
- Bowel cancer
- Brain and CNS cancer
- Breast Cancer
- Cervical cancer
- Hodgkin's lymphoma
- Kidney cancer
- Laryngeal cancer
- Leukaemia
- Liver cancer
- Lung cancer and Smoking
- Multiple myeloma
- Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL)
- Oesophageal cancer
- Oral cancer
- Ovarian cancer
- Pancreatic cancer
- Prostate cancer
- Skin cancer
- Stomach cancer
- Testicular cancer
- Thyroid cancer
- Uterine cancer
- Vaginal Cancer
- Vulva cancer
- Geographic variations
- Causes of cancer
- About CancerStats Reports
- FAQs
UK Uterus (Womb) Cancer incidence statistics
This page presents uterine cancer incidence statistics by age, geographic and ethnic variation, and trends over time.
The ICD code for uterine cancer is ICD9 179+182, and ICD 10 C54+55. A small percentage (6%) of uterine tumours cannot be assigned to a specific part of the uterus and in this section these ‘parts unspecified’ (ICD10 55) uterine cancers have been included with those of the corpus uteri unless stated otherwise.
Cancer of the corpus uteri (uterus or uterine cancer) is the fourth most common cancer in women in the UK with 6,891 cases diagnosed in 20051-4, accounting for around 5% of all female cancers (Table 1.1).
Incidence of uterine cancer is rising in postmenopausal women but five-year survival rates have improved to more than 75% 5.
Uterine cancer is the second most common cancer of the female genital tract after cancer of the ovaries.
Figure 1.1 shows the body of uterus and cervix, and outlining endometrium and muscle walls.
Uterine cancer incidence by age
The vast majority (93%) of uterine cancer cases are diagnosed in women aged over 50 years with very few women diagnosed under the age of 35. Incidence rises rapidly to a peak of 76 per 100,000 females among those aged 64-74 years. Uterine cancer incidence rates decline after the age of 80 (Figure 1.2) 1-4.
Geographical and ethnic variation in uterine cancer incidence
Corpus uteri cancer is primarily a cancer of the developed world with incidence rates more than four times higher than in developing countries6. By contrast, developing countries have much higher rates of cervical cancer and worldwide, there are more than twice as many cases of cervical cancer as corpus uteri cancer diagnosed each year.
In North America, Australasia and many European countries, the incidence of cervical cancer has fallen with the introduction of screening and cancer of the corpus uteri is now the most commonly diagnosed gynaecological cancer6. Uterine cancer incidence rates are highest in North America; up to ten times higher than in parts of Africa and almost double those in Northern Europe (Figure 1.36).
Uterine cancer incidence rates in the UK are among the lowest in the European Union (EU), while the highest rates are found in Malta, Czech Republic and Luxembourg (Figure 1.4). Romania, Greece and Portugal have the lowest uterine cancer incidence rates6.
Evidence from the US suggests important ethnic differences; uterus cancer incidence rates are significantly higher in white compared with black women (23.5 vs. 18.0 per 100,000 females)7. The rate of uterine cancer of unspecified parts is significantly higher in black than white women (1.3 vs. 0.7)7, which may contribute to poorer survival rates in black American women as these tumours are usually large and diagnosed at a late stage.
Trends in uterine cancer incidence
The age-standardised incidence of corpus uteri cancer in Great Britain remained stable between 1975 and 1993, and increased by 29.3% between 1993 and 2005.
Considered separately, tumours of the corpus followed the overall trend, while rates for uterine part unspecified tumours fell slightly over the period 1974-2005 (Figure 1.51-3).
There are important variations in uterine cancer incidence by age. Incidence rates in the over 55 age group have been rising since the late 1970's. Between 1986-2005 the most significant incident rate increase has been in the 60-79 age group, where rates have increased by slightly over 60%. For those aged under 55 incidence rates have remained largely stable.(Figure 1.61-3).
The uterine cancer incidence trend for the UK is shown in Figure 1.7.
Uterine cancer incidence trends in most other European countries are similar8, but are quite different in the US where age-standardised rates have recently been stable in white women but have increased in black American women by almost 2% a year between 1992-2002.7
References for uterine (womb) cancer incidence
- Office for National Statistics, Cancer Statistics registrations:Registrations of cancer diagnosed in 2005, England. Series MB1 no.36. 2008, National Statistics: London.
- ISD Online, Cancer Incidence, Mortality and Survival data. 2008, Information and Statistics Division, NHS Scotland.
- Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit, Cancer registrations in Wales 2005. 2008, Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit.
- Northern Ireland Cancer Registry, Cancer Registrations in Northern Ireland, 2005. 2007
- Coleman, M., et al., Trends in socioeconomic inequalities in cancer survival in England and Wales up to 2001, in BJC. 2004.
- Ferlay J, et al., GLOBOCAN 2002. Cancer Incidence, Mortality and Prevalence Worldwide. IARC CancerBase No.5, Version 2.0. IARCPress, Lyon. 2004.
- United States Cancer Statistics:1999-2001 Incidence and Mortality Web-based Report Version. Department of Health and Human Sciences, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Cancer Institute, 2004
- Bray, F., et al., Endometrial cancer incidence trends in Europe: underlying determinants and prospects for prevention. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev, 2005. 14(5): p. 1132-42
Select the cancer you are interested in
A - Z index
Contact us
Donate now
Glossary
Print this page