Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK, accounting for almost a sixth (15%) of all cases in males and females combined (2015).[1-4] The next most common cancers in UK people are prostate (13%), lung (13%), and bowel (12%). Though there are more than 200 types of cancer, just these four types - breast, prostate, lung and bowel - together account for more than half (53%) of all new cases in the UK (2015).[1-4] The two most common cancer types occur mainly or exclusively in only one sex.
The 20 Most Common Cancers, UK, 2015

References
- Data were provided by the Office for National Statistics on request, July 2017. Similar data can be found here: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/bulletins/cancerregistrationstatisticsengland/previousReleases.
- Data were provided by ISD Scotland on request, August 2017. Similar data can be found here: http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Cancer/Publications.
- Data were provided by the Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit, Health Intelligence Division, Public Health Wales on request, October 2017. Similar data can be found here: http://www.wcisu.wales.nhs.uk.
- Data were provided by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry on request, July 2017. Similar data can be found here: http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/nicr/.
About this data
Data is for UK, 2015, ICD-10 C00-C97 excl. C44.