Cancer mortality for all cancers combined

Mortality statistics for all cancers combined are presented here. There are also data by country in the UK, trends over time and a comparison with other causes of death. The ICD codes for all cancers combined are ICD-10 C00-C97 including C44.

The latest mortality statistics available for all cancers in the UK is 2010. Find out why these are the latest statistics available.

UK totals of cancer deaths
Trends in cancer deaths in the UK

Cancer deaths compared with other causes of death in the UK
References

There were 157,275 cancer deaths in 2010 (Table 1.1).1-3 Unlike cancer incidence data, where there were almost identical numbers of cases diagnosed in males and females, the male:female ratio of cancer deaths is 11:10, with male cancer deaths representing 52% of all cancer deaths. This inequality is also seen when the sex-specific cancer deaths and lung cancer are removed from the analysis.4,5

Table 1.1: All Cancers (C00-C97), Number of Deaths, Crude and European Age-Standardised (AS) Mortality Rates per 100,000 Population, UK, 2010

		England	Scotland	Wales	Northern Ireland	UK
Male	Deaths	68,207	7,807	4,388	2,079	82,481
	Crude Rate	264.8	308.5	298.3	235.1	269.2
	AS Rate	198.4	232.0	200.8	209.3	201.6
	AS Rate - 95% LCL*	196.9	226.9	194.9	200.3	200.3
	AS Rate - 95% UCL*	199.9	237.2	206.8	218.2	203.0
Female	Deaths	61,316	7,516	4,088	1,874	74,794
	Crude Rate	231.6	279.2	266.2	204.8	236.5
	AS Rate	143.9	170.7	152.2	146.7	146.8
	AS Rate - 95% LCL*	142.8	166.9	147.6	140.0	145.8
	AS Rate - 95% UCL*	145.1	174.6	156.9	153.3	147.9
Persons	Deaths	129,523	15,323	8,476	3,953	157,275
	Crude Rate	248.0	293.4	281.9	219.7	252.6
	AS Rate	167.1	195.9	172.7	172.5	170.0
	AS Rate - 95% LCL*	166.2	192.8	169.0	167.1	169.2
	AS Rate - 95% UCL*	168.0	199.0	176.4	177.8	170.9

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

Table 1.1 also shows that Scotland has significantly higher mortality rates than the rest of the UK for both males and females.

section reviewed 15/05/12
section updated 15/05/12

Mortality for all cancers combined in the UK started to fall in the early 1990s, with the European age-standardised mortality rates (AS rates) decreasing by 26% in males and 20% in females during the period 1989-1991 and 2008-2010 (Figure 1.1).1-3

The rate of decrease has slowed down over the last ten years, with the AS mortality rates in the UK decreasing by 12% in males and 9% in females during the period 1999-2001 and 2008-2010. This is despite a small increase in cancer incidence during the last decade.

Since the early 1970s in the UK, the male AS mortality rate has been consistently higher than the rate for females. However, since the male rate has declined more quickly than the female rate, the gap between the sexes has decreased considerably; over the last twenty years (from 1989-1991 to 2008-2010) the difference in AS mortality rates between the sexes has decreased by 40% (Figure 1.1).1-3

Figure 1.1: All Cancers (C00-C97), European Age-Standardised Mortality Rates, UK, 1971-2010

mort_asr_uk_all_temp.swf

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section reviewed 15/05/12
section updated 15/05/12

Cancer was responsible for 28% of all deaths in the UK in 2010. Cancer deaths represented a slightly higher percentage for males at 31%, compared with 26% for females. There were around 77,400 more cancer deaths than deaths from coronary heart disease, and around 109,000 more cancer deaths than stroke deaths in 2010 (Figure 1.2).1-3

Figure 1.2: The Ten Most Common Causes of Death, Number of Deaths per Year, Ages One and over*, UK, 2010

mort_10_allcauses_mf_temp.swf

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*Deaths are presented for ages one and over because of the large numbers of deaths that occur in infants (for example, during childbirth or related to immaturity conditions or congenital anomalies). In the UK between 2008-10 there were an average of around 3,600 deaths per year in infants under one-years old, around 11 (0.3%) of which were due to cancer (C00-C97).

section reviewed 15/05/12
section updated 15/05/12