Cancer incidence for common cancers

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK, 3 in 20 (15%) of all cases in females and males combined (2017).[1-4] The next most common cancers in UK people are prostate (13%), lung (13%), and bowel (11%). 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 (2017).[1-4] The two most common cancer types occur mainly or exclusively in only one sex.

The 20 Most Common Cancers, UK, 2017

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in UK males, accounting for around a quarter (26%) of male cases (2017).[1-4] The next most common cancers in UK males are lung cancer (13%) and bowel cancer (13%). Prostate, lung and bowel cancers together account for more than half (52%) of all new cases in males in the UK. One of the ten most common cancers in males is sex-specific (prostate), compared with two of the ten most common cancers in females (uterus and ovary). Head and neck, bladder, oesophageal cancers and leukaemia, are among the UK ten most common cancers in males, but not in females.

The Three Most Common Cancers in Males, Percentages of All Cancer Cases Excluding Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer (C00-C97 excl. C44), UK, 2017

The Ten Most Common Cancers in Males, Numbers of New Cases, UK, 2017

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in UK females, accounting for almost a third (30%) of all female cases (2017).[1-4] The next most common cancers in UK females are lung cancer (13%) and bowel cancer (10%). Breast, lung and bowel cancers together account for over half (54%) of all new cases in females in the UK. Two of the ten most common cancers in females are sex-specific (uterus and ovary), compared with one of the ten most common cancers in males (prostate). Breast, brain, other CNS and intracranial tumours and pancreatic cancer are among the ten most common cancers in females, but not in males.

The Three Most Common Cancers in Females, Percentages of All Cancer Cases Excluding Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer (C00-C97 excl. C44), UK, 2017

The Ten Most Common Cancers in Females, Numbers of New Cases, UK, 2017

Incidence trends over the last decade in the UK vary by cancer type and sex.[1-4] For most cancer types, incidence trends largely reflect changing prevalence of risk factors and improvements in diagnosis and data recording. Recent incidence trends are influenced by risk factor prevalence in years past.

Thyroid cancer has shown the fastest increase in incidence over the past decade in the UK in females (69%) and males (68%), followed by liver cancer (46% in females and 51% in males), within the current 20 most common UK cancers in females and males. In females, kidney cancer, melanoma skin cancer, and head and neck cancers have shown the next-fastest increases in incidence. In males, melanoma skin cancer, kidney cancer and Hodgkin lymphoma have shown the next-fastest increases in incidence.

Cancer of unknown primary has shown the fastest decrease in incidence over the past decade in the UK in females (35%) and males (35%), followed by stomach cancer (28% in females and 32% in males), within the current 20 most common UK cancers in females and males.

For lung and oesophageal cancers, the incidence trend differs between the sexes. In females lung cancer incidence has increased, while in males it has decreased. In females, oesophageal cancer incidence has decreased, while in males it has remained stable.

The 20 Most Common Cancers 2017, Percentage Change in European Age-Standardised Three Year Average Incidence Rates, Females, UK, 2005-2007 and 2015-2017

The 20 Most Common Cancers 2017, Percentage Change in European Age-Standardised Three Year Average Incidence Rates, Males, UK, 2005-2007 and 2015-2017

Incidence rates are projected to rise for most types of cancer in the UK between 2014 and 2035.[1] Among cancer types with rising rates, the size of the overall increase between 2014 and 2035 ranges from 2% (breast cancer) to 74% (thyroid cancer).

For a smaller number of cancer types, incidence rates are projected to fall in the UK between 2014 and 2035. Among cancer types with falling rates, the size of the overall decrease between 2014 and 2035 ranges from 2% (non-Hodgkin lymphoma) to 53% (mesothelioma).

These projections reflect past trends in cancer incidence. They do not model the possible impact of current or future changes which may increase or decrease cancer incidence. For cervical cancer and other HPV-related cancers (pharyngeal, anal, vulval, penile, vaginal, and oral cavity), HPV vaccination is expected to substantially decrease future incidence.[2,3]

Selected Cancers, Number of New Cases and European Age-Standardised Incidence Rates, Males, UK, 1979, 2014 and 2035

Selected Cancers, Number of New Cases and European Age-Standardised Incidence Rates, Females, UK, 1979, 2014 and 2035

Thyroid cancer has the fastest-increasing projected incidence rates in both males and females, rising by more than 2% per year on average between 2015 and 2035.

The Five Cancers with the Highest Average Annual Percentage Change in European Age-Standardised Incidence Rates, Males, UK, 2015-2035

The Five Cancers with the Highest Average Annual Percentage Change in European Age-Standardised Incidence Rates, Females, UK, 2015-2035

Cancer incidence rates (European age-standardised (AS) rates ) in England are higher in the most deprived quintile compared with the least, for most cancer types (2013-2017).[1] The deprivation gap in cancer incidence is generally largest for smoking-related cancer types, reflecting longstanding higher smoking prevalence in more deprived groups.[2]

For a small group of cancer types, incidence rates are higher in the least deprived quintile compared with the most. This reflects higher exposure to some risk factors in less deprived groups: more sun exposure (related to melanoma skin cancer);[3] later first pregnancy, lower parity and higher postmenopausal hormone use (related to female breast cancer).[4] It also reflects higher uptake of breast screening and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing in less deprived groups.[5,6]

Percentage Difference in European Age-Standardised Incidence Rates per 100,000 Population Between Most and Least Deprived Quintiles, Females, England, 2013-2017

This chart includes only cancer types with a statistically significant difference in age-standardised rates between most and least deprived quintiles.

Percentage Difference in European Age-Standardised Incidence Rates per 100,000 Population Between Most and Least Deprived Quintiles, Males, England, 2013-2017

It is estimated that each year in England there are around 27,200 more cases of cancer types where incidence rates are higher in more deprived quintiles, than there would be if incidence rates in all deprivation quintiles matched those of the least deprived quintile. The corresponding figure for the UK – based on the England figures above, plus devolved nations data – is around 33,800.[1,7-9] Lung cancer is by far the largest contributor to these excess cases, reflecting the high incidence of this cancer type overall, and the large difference in lung cancer incidence between the most and least deprived quintiles.

The number of excess cases is partly offset by those cancer types where incidence rates are lower in more deprived quintiles: for those cancer types it is estimated that each year in England there are around 10,700 fewer cases than there would be if incidence rates in all deprivation quintiles matched those of the least deprived quintile. The corresponding figure for the UK is around 11,900.[1,7-9] The cancer types contributing most of this total are melanoma skin cancer, prostate cancer, and female breast cancer.

These figures are calculated as the sum of cases observed, minus the sum of cases expected if every deprivation quintile had the same age-specific crude incidence rates (age-specific crude rates for England, age-standardised rates all ages combined for Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland) as the least deprived quintile. Only cancer types with a statistically significant difference in age-standardised rates between most and least deprived quintiles are included in these figures.

The European age-standardised incidence rates differ significantly between UK constituent countries for several cancer types. Such differences are often due to variation in data recording (e.g. definitions of recordable tumour types), risk factor prevalence (e.g. cigarette smoking rates), or diagnostic activity (e.g. screening uptake rates). Between-country variation is discussed on the types of cancer pages.

The four most common cancers are the same in all the UK constituent countries – breast, prostate, lung, and bowel cancers.[1-4] The order of these four varies between countries. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in all the UK countries except Scotland, where lung cancer is most common.