Cervical cancer incidence statistics

Cervical cancer is the nineteenth most common cancer in the UK (2009), accounting for 1% of all new cases. Cervical cancer is the 11th most common cancer among women in the UK, accounting for around 2% of all new cases of cancer in females.

In 2009, there were 3,378 new cases of cervical cancer in the UK (Table 1.1). The crude incidence rate shows that there are around 11 new cervical cancer cases for every 100,000 females in the UK.

The European age-standardised incidence rates (AS rates) of cervical cancer are significantly higher in Northern Ireland compared with England (Table 1.1).1-4 However, the rates do not differ significantly between the other countries.1-4

Table 1.1: Cervical Cancer (C53), Number of New Cases, Crude and European Age-Standardised (AS) Incidence Rates per 100,000 Population, Females, 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 01/06/2012

Cervical cancer incidence is related to age but it is unusual as it does not follow the same pattern of increasing incidence with age seen for most cancers (Figure 1.1).1-4 There are two peaks in the age-specific incidence rates: the first in women aged 30-34 (at 21.2 per 100,000 women) and the second in women aged 80-84 (at 14 per 100,000 women). The earlier peak is related to many women becoming sexually active in their late teens/early 20s,5,6 giving rise to the increase of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV - a precursor to cervical cancer development). The second peak is due to increasing cancer incidence with age. In the UK between 2007 and 2009, an average of 21% of new cervical cancer cases were in people aged 65 years and over.

Over three-quarters (76%) of cervical cancer cases occur in 25-64 year olds. Women in England and Northern Ireland are currently offered cervical cancer screening at three to five year intervals between ages 25 and 64. For women in Wales, screening is offered between the ages of 20 and 64 every three years. In Scotland, women are offered screening every three years between the ages of 20 and 60.7-10

Figure 1.1: Cervical Cancer (C53), Average Number of New Cases Per Year and Age-Specific Incidence Rates, Females, UK, 2007-2009  

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section updated 01/06/12

Cervical cancer incidence rates decreased dramatically since the late 1980s following the introduction of the national NHS cervical screening programmes around the UK in 1988. Rates then reached a plateau in the early 2000s (shown for Great Britain in Figure 1.2). Rates decreased by 49% in Great Britain from their peak in 1985-1987 (at 16.3 per 100,000 women) to the lowest rate in 2002-2004 (at 8.4 per 100,000 women). This is because cervical screening detects and treats abnormal cells, and so can help prevent many cases of cervical cancer from ever developing.7

Figure 1.2: Cervical Cancer (C53): European Age-Standardised Incidence Rates, Females, Great Britain, 1975-2009 

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As UK wide data is only available after cervical screening was introduced, the age-standardised incidence rate for the UK initially shows a similar downward trend from 1993 onwards (Figure 1.3). However, since 2002-2004, the incidence rate has been increasing by more than 9% (from 8.4 in 2002-2004 to 9.2 in 2007-2009). Between 2008 and 2009 there was an increase in the AS Incidence rate of 14% for all ages in the UK (Figure 1.3).1-4

Figure 1.3: Cervical Cancer (C53), European Age-Standardised Incidence Rates, Females, UK, 1993-2009 

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UK cervical cancer incidence rates have increased for only some age groups since 2002-2004 with the largest rise in the 25-34 age group. Between 2002-2004 and 2007-2009, European AS incidence rates rose by 48% in women in this age group (from 13.2 in 2002-2004 to 19.5 in 2007-2009) there was also rises in the 20 to 24 year age group and the 35 to 49 year age group (Figure 1.4).  

In women aged over 50 incidence rates have been falling since the early 90’s in women aged 65 to 79 rates fell by 48% in women in this age group (from 20.1 in 1993-1995 to 10.5 in 2007-2009). The decreases were smaller in women aged 50 to 64 and 80 plus age groups at 39% (from 15.8 in 1993-1995 to 9.7 in 2007-2009) and 28% (from 18.9 in 1993-1995 to 13.7 in 2007-2009) respectively.

Figure 1.4: Cervical Cancer (C53), European Age-Standardised Incidence Rates by Age, Females, UK, 1993-2009 

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The increase in cervical cancer incidence rates in younger women is thought to be unrelated to the change in screening policy in England in 2004.11 Figure 1.5 shows that over 40% of the additional cases which were diagnosed between 2008 and 2009 occurred in the 25 to 34 age range where incidence rates increased by more than 20 percent (22% for women aged 25-29 and 21% for women aged 30-34). 

Whilst the 20-24 age group showed a large increase of more than 50%, it was based on small numbers of women and was not statistically significant. It has been suggested that this increase is related to the cervical cancer diagnosis of Big Brother contestant Jade Goody in 2008 and her death in 2009 which raised awareness of the disease and contributed to a subsequent increase in women attending cervical screening or visiting their doctor.12,13 All other age groups were not significant.

Figure 1.5: Cervical Cancer (C53), Percentage Change in Age-Specific Incidence Rates, Females, UK, 2008 to 2009 

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*Statistically significant difference between 2008 and 2009

section updated 09/07/12

The lifetime risk of developing cervical cancer in the UK is estimated to be 1 in 134 (calculated using 2008 data).14

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It has been estimated that around two thirds of cervical cancers are squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and around 15% are adenocarcinoma (with nearly all of the remainder of cases being registered as poorly specified).15-17 An analysis of cervical cancer incidence in Sweden has shown that an early age peak at 35-39 years is apparent for both SCC and adenocarcinoma.18

A study by the International Agency for Research on Cancer has reported an increase in adenocarcinoma and a downward trend in SCC in many countries worldwide.19,20

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Worldwide, cervical cancer is the third most common cancer in women and the seventh most common overall (in both sexes combined). It is estimated to be responsible for 530,000 new cases of cancer in 2008 (nearly one in ten (9%) of all cancers diagnosed in women). Cervical cancer incidence rates are lowest in Western Asia and highest in Eastern Africa, with a seven-fold variation in World AS incidence rates between the regions of the world (Figure 1.6).19

Figure 1.6: Cervical Cancer (C53), World Age-Standardised Incidence Rates, Females, World Regions, 2008 Estimates

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Much of the variation in incidence can be attributed to geographical differences in population prevalence of HPV, and other co-factors that modify risk in HPV-infected women such as oral contraceptive use and smoking (see Risk Factors section). Screening programmes have substantially reduced incidence and mortality rates in Western countries, whereas HPV vaccination offers a promising option for lowering disease burden in the developing world.20,21

Within the 27 countries of the European Union (EU-27), the highest cervical cancer European AS incidence rates are estimated to be in Romania (29 cases per 100,000 women), and the lowest rates are estimated to be in Malta (2.9 female cases per 100,000) (Figure 1.7).22

Figure 1.7: Cervical cancer (C53), European Age-Standardised Incidence Rates, Females, EU-27 Countries, 2008 Estimates

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UK cervical cancer incidence rates are estimated to be the 18th highest in Europe (EU-27).

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Prevalence refers to the number of people who have previously received a diagnosis of cancer and who are still alive at a given time point. Some patients will have been cured of their disease and others will not. The latest estimates for the UK (Table 1.2) show that around 19,000 people were still alive at the end of 2006, up to ten years after being diagnosed with cervical cancer.23 Worldwide, it is estimated that there were 1.56 million cervical cancer patients still alive in 2008, up to five years after their diagnosis.19

Table 1.2: Cervical Cancer (C53), One, Five and Ten Year Cancer Prevalence, Females, UK, 31st December 2006

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section updated 01/06/12