Read press release Bowel cancer Key Facts
Key messages on incidence, survival, mortality, risk factors (causes) and a summary table of the statistics for bowel cancer are given here. Also discussed is screening.
More comprehensive information and statistics for bowel cancer is here:incidence, survival, mortality, risk factors (causes) and screening.
- Download these Key Facts Bowel cancer Key Facts
The latest statistics available for bowel cancer are; incidence 2010, mortality 2010, and survival 2005-2009. Source years are specified in the statistics table. Find out why these are the latest statistics available.
- Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK.
- Around 40,700 people were diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2010 in the UK, that’s around 110 people every day.
- In 2010, around 22,800 men were diagnosed with bowel cancer in the UK making it the third most common cancer in men after prostate and lung cancer.
- Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer in women after lung cancer and breast cancer, with around 17,900 new cases diagnosed in the UK in 2010.
- More than 8 in 10 bowel cancer cases occur in people aged 60 and over.
- Bowel cancer incidence rates have remained relatively stable for over a decade.
- In Europe (EU27) there were around 334,000 new cases of bowel cancer diagnosed in 2008.
- Worldwide, an estimated 1.24 million new cases of bowel cancer were diagnosed in 2008.
- The lowest incidence rates of bowel cancer are seen in South Central Asia, and Middle African countries. The highest rates are in Europe, North America and Australasia.
Read more in-depth UK bowel cancer incidence statistics.
section reviewed 14/01/13
section updated 14/01/13
- Five-year survival rates for bowel cancer have doubled over the last 40 years.
- Half of patients diagnosed with bowel cancer will survive their disease for at least ten years.
- People diagnosed with bowel cancer are now twice as likely to survive their disease for at least ten years than those diagnosed in the early 1970s.
- Research suggests more than 90% of bowel cancer patients will survive the disease for more than five years if diagnosed at the earliest stage.
- Younger bowel cancer patients have a better prognosis than older patients.
Read more in-depth bowel cancer survival statistics.
section reviewed 22/02/13
section updated 12/07/12
- Bowel cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in the UK after lung cancer.
- Around 15,700 people died of bowel cancer in 2010 in the UK, that's around 43 people every day.
- Bowel cancer death rates have been falling since the 1970s. Over the last decade death rates have dropped by around 14%.
- In 2008 around 149,000 people died from bowel cancer in Europe (EU-27).
- Worldwide bowel cancer killed more than 609,000 people in 2008, more than half of these deaths are in the more developed regions of the world.
Read more in-depth UK bowel cancer mortality statistics.
section reviewed 28/03/13
section updated 28/03/13
- High intake of red and processed meat will increase the chances of developing bowel cancer whereas a diet rich in fibre will reduce your risk.
- Around 13% of bowel cancers in the UK are linked to overweight or obesity.
- Being physically active reduces risk of colon cancer.
- Research has shown that drinking as little as 10g/day of alcohol (around 1 unit) can increase the risk of bowel cancer.
- Smoking increases the risk of bowel cancer.
- People with a first-degree relative with bowel cancer are at twice the average risk of developing it themselves.
- People with diabetes, ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease all have an increased risk of bowel cancer.
Read more in-depth bowel cancer risk factors.
section reviewed 22/02/13
section updated 05/03/12
- The NHS Bowel Screening Programme began in England in 2006, Scotland in 2007, Wales in 2008 and in Northern Ireland in 2010.
- It’s predicted that the bowel screening programme will save over 2,000 lives each year by 2025.
Read more in-depth bowel cancer screening and prevention.
section reviewed 22/02/13
section updated 23/03/11
| BOWEL CANCER STATISTICS | Males | Females | Persons | Country | Year3 |
| Number of new cases per year | 22,834 | 17,861 | 40,695 | UK | 2010 |
| Incidence rate per 100,000 population1 | 58.2 | 36.8 | 46.6 | ||
| Number of deaths per year | 8,574 | 7,134 | 15,708 | UK | 2010 |
| Mortality rate per 100,000 population1 | 20.9 | 12.7 | 16.4 | ||
| One-year survival rate - colon cancer2 | 73.0% | 72.2% | 73.6% | England | 2005-2009 |
| One-year survival rate - rectal cancer2 | 78.8% | 78.8% | 78.8% | ||
| Five-year survival rate - colon cancer2 | 54.4% | 55.1% | 54.8% | England | 2005-2009 |
| Five-year survival rate - rectal cancer2 | 54.6% | 57.6% | 55.8% | ||
| Ten-year survival rate - colon cancer2 | 50.1% | 50.8% | 50.4% | England | 2007 (predicted) |
| Ten-year survival rate - rectal cancer2 | 47.3% | 52.1% | 49.3% |
1. European age-standardised 2. Adults diagnosed 3. Latest statistics available
More detailed bowel cancer statistics can be found using these links: incidence, survival, mortality, risk factors and screening.
section reviewed 22/02/13
section updated 14/01/13
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