Cancer mortality by age

Age

Peak mortality rate for cancer, 2017-2019, UK

Trend over time by age

Age group with greatest decrease in mortality rates since the early 1970s, UK

Mortality rates are strongly related to age for all cancers combined, with the highest mortality rates being in older people. In the UK in 2016-2018, on average each year more than half (54%) of deaths were in people aged 75 and over.[1-3] This largely reflects higher incidence and lower survival for all cancers combined in older people.

Age-specific mortality rates rates rise steadily from around age 45-49 and more steeply from around age 70-74. The highest rates are in the 90+ age group for females and males. Mortality rates are significantly higher in females than males in the 30-49 age groups and significantly lower in females than males in the older age groups.The gap is widest at age 90+, when the age-specific mortality rate is 1.9 times lower in females than males.

All Cancers Combined (C00-C97), Average Number of Deaths per Year and Age-Specific Mortality Rates per 100,000 Population, UK, 2016-2018

95% LCL and 95% UCL are the 95% lower and upper confidence limits Open a glossary item around the AS Rate Open a glossary item
 

Children aged 0-14, and teenagers and young adults aged 15-24, each account for less than one per cent of all cancer deaths in the UK, with slightly more deaths in males than females in both age groups (2016-2018).[1-3]

Adults aged 25-49 contribute around 5 in 100 (4%) of all cancer deaths, with slightly fewer deaths in males than females in this age group.[1-3] Adults aged 50-74 account for more than 4 in 10 (42%) of all cancer deaths, and elderly people aged 75+ account for more than half (54%), with slightly more deaths in males than females in both age groups

References

  1. Data were provided by the Office for National Statistics on request, November 2019. Similar data can be found here: http://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths.
  2. Data were provided by ISD Scotland on request, October 2019. Similar data can be found here: http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Cancer/Publications/index.asp.
  3. Data were provided by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry on request, June 2020. Similar data can be found here: http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/nicr/.

About this data

Data is for UK, 2016-2018, ICD-10 C00-C97, D32-D33, D35.2-D35.4, D42-D43, D44.3-D44.5.

Last reviewed:

The five most common causes of cancer death in males varies considerably by age group, with particular differences in the cancer types diagnosed in children and young people, compared with the types diagnosed in older people.[1-3]

The Five Most Common Causes of Cancer Death in Males, Number of Deaths, by Age, UK, 2016-2018

Routinely collected mortality data are presented by ICD-10 code. However, this coding framework is generally not appropriate for cancer in children aged 0-14 or young people aged 15-24, because it defines tumours using body site rather than cell type, and the latter is more important for cancer in these age groups. ICD-10 coding is considered reliable for malignant brain and other CNS tumours and leukaemias in children and young people.[4] Finer breakdowns of deaths by cancer type are available but the data are not recent.[5] For the 25-49 age group, data in this chart do not sum to the all cancers combined total provided elsewhere, because 'Brain, other central nervous system (CNS) and intracranial tumours' includes tumours that are malignant and non-malignant but only the malignant tumours are included in 'all cancers combined' total. For all age groups percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding.

More than half (53% in 2016-2018) of all male cancer deaths in the UK each year occur in the elderly aged 75+. A further 43% occur in male adults aged 50-74 and 3% occur in males aged 25-49. Boys (aged 0-14), and male young people (aged 15-24), each account for less than 1% of all male cancer deaths in the UK each year.[1-3]

In boys aged 0-14 in the UK, brain, other central nervous system and intracranial tumours are the most common cause of cancer death, accounting for more than a third (36%) of all cancer deaths in this group in 2016-2018.[1-3]

In male young people aged 15-24 in the UK, leukaemia is the most common cause of cancer death, accounting for more than a fifth (22%) of all cancer deaths in this group in 2016-2018.[1-3]

In males aged 25-49 in the UK, brain, other central nervous system and intracranial tumours are the most common cause of cancer death, accounting for almost three in twenty (13%) of all cancer deaths in this group in 2016-2018.[1-3]

In males aged 50-74 in the UK, lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer death, accounting for around a quarter (24%) of all cancer deaths in this group in 2016-2018.[1-3]

In males aged 75+ in the UK, lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer death, accounting for around a fifth (19%) of all cancer deaths in this group in 2016-2018.[1-3]

References

  1. Data were provided by the Office for National Statistics on request, November 2019. Similar data can be found here: http://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths.
  2. Data were provided by ISD Scotland on request, October 2019. Similar data can be found here: http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Cancer/Publications/index.asp.
  3. Data were provided by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry on request, June 2020. Similar data can be found here: http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/nicr/.
  4. Public Health England. Childhood Cancer Mortality in the UK and Internationally, 2005-2010. Available from http://www.ncin.org.uk/view?rid=3027, accessed January 2020.
  5. Stiller C (Ed.) Childhood cancer in Britain: incidence, survival and mortality. Oxford University Press, 2007.

About this data

Data is for UK, 2016-2018.

Ages 0-14 and 15-24: Brain ICD-10 C70-C72; Leukaemia ICD-10 C91-C95; Other cancers ICD-10 C00-C69, C73-C90, C96-C97, D32-D33, D35.2-D35.4, D42-D43, D44.3-D44.5; All cancers combined C00-C97, D32-D33, D35.2-D35.4, D42-D43, D44.3-D44.5.

Ages 25-49: Brain ICD-10 C70-C72, C75.1-C75.3, D32-D33, D35.2-D35.4, D42-D43, D44.3-D44.5.

Ages 25-49, 50-74, 75+: Bladder C67; Bowel C18-C20; Breast C50; Cancer of Unknown Primary C77-C80; Cervix C53; Head and Neck C00-C14, C30-C32; Lung C33-C34; Oesophagus C15; Ovary C56-C57.4; Pancreas C25; Prostate C61; All cancers combined ICD-10 C00-97.

Last reviewed:

The five most common causes of cancer death in females varies considerably by age group, with particular differences in the cancer types diagnosed in children and young people, compared with the types diagnosed in older people.[1-3]

The Five Most Common Causes of Cancer Death in Females, Number of Deaths, by Age, UK, 2016-2018

Routinely collected mortality data are presented by ICD-10 code. However, this coding framework is generally not appropriate for cancer in children aged 0-14 or young people aged 15-24, because it defines tumours using body site rather than cell type, and the latter is more important for cancer in these age groups. ICD-10 coding is considered reliable for malignant brain and other CNS tumours and leukaemias in children and young people.[4] Finer breakdowns of deaths by cancer type are available but the data are not recent.[5] For the 25-49 age group, data in this chart do not sum to the all cancers combined total provided elsewhere, because 'Brain, other central nervous system (CNS) and intracranial tumours' includes tumours that are malignant and non-malignant but only the malignant tumours are included in 'all cancers combined' total. For all age groups percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding.

More than half (54% in 2016-2018) of all female cancer deaths in the UK each year occur in the elderly aged 75+. A further 41% occur in female adults aged 50-74 and 4% occur in females aged 25-49. Girls (aged 0-14), and female young people (aged 15-24), each account for less than 1% of all female cancer deaths in the UK each year.[1-3]

In girls aged 0-14 in the UK, brain, other central nervous system and intracranial tumours are the most common cause of cancer death, accounting for around a third (34%) of all cancer deaths in this group in 2016-2018.[1-3]

In female young people aged 15-24 in the UK, brain, other central nervous system and intracranial tumours are the most common cause of cancer death, accounting for around a fifth (21%) of all cancer deaths in this group in 2016-2018.[1-3]

In females aged 25-49 in the UK, breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer death, accounting for almost a third (31%) of all cancer deaths in this group in 2016-2018.[1-3]

In females aged 50-74 in the UK, lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer death, accounting for a quarter (25%) of all cancer deaths in this group in 2016-2018.[1-3]

In females aged 75+ in the UK, lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer death, accounting for around a fifth (19%) of all cancer deaths in this group in 2016-2018.[1-3]

References

  1. Data were provided by the Office for National Statistics on request, November 2019. Similar data can be found here: http://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths.
  2. Data were provided by ISD Scotland on request, October 2019. Similar data can be found here: http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Cancer/Publications/index.asp.
  3. Data were provided by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry on request, June 2020. Similar data can be found here: http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/nicr/.
  4. Public Health England. Childhood Cancer Mortality in the UK and Internationally, 2005-2010. Available from http://www.ncin.org.uk/view?rid=3027, accessed January 2020.
  5. Stiller C (Ed.) Childhood cancer in Britain: incidence, survival and mortality. Oxford University Press, 2007.

About this data

Data is for UK, 2016-2018.

Ages 0-14 and 15-24: Brain ICD-10 C70-C72; Leukaemia ICD-10 C91-C95; Other cancers ICD-10 C00-C69, C73-C90, C96-C97, D32-D33, D35.2-D35.4, D42-D43, D44.3-D44.5; All cancers combined C00-C97, D32-D33, D35.2-D35.4, D42-D43, D44.3-D44.5.

Ages 25-49: Brain ICD-10 C70-C72, C75.1-C75.3, D32-D33, D35.2-D35.4, D42-D43, D44.3-D44.5.

Ages 25-49, 50-74, 75+: Bladder C67; Bowel C18-C20; Breast C50; Cancer of Unknown Primary C77-C80; Cervix C53; Head and Neck C00-C14, C30-C32; Lung C33-C34; Oesophagus C15; Ovary C56-C57.4; Pancreas C25; Prostate C61; All cancers combined ICD-10 C00-97.

Last reviewed:

All cancers combined mortality rates have decreased overall in most broad age groups in females and males combined in the UK since the early 1970s but have increased in some.[1-4] Rates in 0-24s have decreased by 65%, in 25-49s have decreased by 54%, in 50-74s have decreased by 37%, in 75+s have increased by 13%.

All Cancers (C00-C97), European Age-Standardised Mortality Rates per 100,000 Persons Population, By Age, UK, 1971-2019

All cancers for people aged 0-24 includes all non-malignant brain, other central nervous system and intracranial tumours (ICD-10 codes: D32-D33, D35.2-D35.4, D42-D43 and D44.3-D44.5). All cancers for all other age groups do not include non-malignant brain, other central nervous system and intracranial tumours.

References

  1. England and Wales data were accessed from Nomis mortality statistics by underlying cause, sex and age, November 2021: Nomis mortality statistics by underlying cause, sex and age.
  2. Scotland data were provided by ISD Scotland on request, November 2021. Similar data can be found here: http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Cancer/Publications/index.asp(link is external).
  3. Northern Ireland data were provided by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry on request, February 2022. Similar data can be found here: http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/nicr/.
  4. Population data were published by the Office for National statistics, accessed July 2020. The data can be found here: Population estimates for the UK, England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, provisional: mid-2019.

About this data

Data is for UK, 1971-2019, C00-C97.

All cancers for people aged 0-24 includes all malignant tumours (ICD-10 C00-C97) and all non-malignant brain, other central nervous system and intracranial tumours (ICD-10 D32-D33, D35.2-D35.4, D42-D43 and D44.3-D44.5).

All cancers for all other age groups do not include non-malignant brain, other central nervous system and intracranial tumours.

 

Last reviewed:

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