All cancers combined statistics

All cancers combined incidence

There are more than 386,000 new cancer cases in the UK every year, that's around 1,100 every day (2017-2019).
In females in the UK, there are nearly 187,000 new cancer cases every year (2017-2019).
In males in the UK, there are nearly 200,000 new cancer cases every year (2017-2019).
Incidence rates for all cancers in the UK are highest in people aged 85 to 89 (2017-2019).
Each year more than a third (36%) of all new cancer cases in the UK are diagnosed in people aged 75 and over (2017-2019).
Since the early 1990s, all cancers incidence rates have increased by a seventh (14%) in the UK. Rates in females have increased by a sixth (17%), and rates in males have increased by a twentieth (5%) (2017-2019).
Over the last decade, all cancers incidence rates have increased by around a twentieth (4%) in the UK. Rates in females have increased by a twentieth (5%), and rates in males have increased by less than a twentieth (1%) (2017-2019).
Almost half (45.5%) of all cancer cases were diagnosed at stage 3 & 4 (out of those with a known stage at diagnosis) in England in 2018 – that’s more than 118,000 cases. See our new Early Diagnosis Data Hub for more statistics on stage at diagnosis by UK country and cancer type.
All cancers combined incidence rates are projected to rise by 2% in the UK between 2023-2025 and 2038-2040.
There could be around 506,000 new cases of all cancers combined every year in the UK by 2038-2040, projections suggest.
All cancers combined incidence rates in England in females are 16% higher in the most deprived quintile compared with the least, and in males are 19% higher in the most deprived quintile compared with the least (2013-2017). Around 16,800 cases of all cancers combined each year in England are linked with deprivation (around 7,100 in females and around 9,800 in males).
An estimated 2,273,200 people who had previously been diagnosed with cancer were alive in the UK at the end of 2013.
UK incidence is ranked higher than three-quarters of Europe.
UK incidence is ranked higher than 90% of the world.

See more in-depth cancer incidence statistics for all cancers combined

All cancers combined mortality

There are more than 168,000 cancer deaths in the UK every year, that's around 460 every day (2021-2023).
In females in the UK, there are around 78,800 cancer deaths cases every year (2021-2023).
In males in the UK, there are around 89,700 cancer deaths every year (2021-2023).
Mortality rates for all cancers in the UK are highest in people aged 90+ (2021-2023).
Each year almost three-fifths (56%) of all cancer deaths in the UK are in people aged 75 and over (2021-2023).
Since the early 1970s, all cancers mortality rates have decreased by more than a fifth (22%) in the UK. Rates in females have decreased by almost a sixth (16%), and rates in males have decreased by almost a third (31%) (2021-2023).
Over the last decade, all cancers mortality rates have decreased by around a tenth (11%) in the UK. Rates in females have decreased by a tenth (10%), and rates in males have decreased by around a seventh (13%) (2021-2023).
An estimated 1.19 million cancer deaths had been avoided in the UK by 2021 because mortality rates dropped from their peak levels in the 1980s.
All cancers combined mortality rates are projected to fall by 6% in the UK between 2023-2025 and 2038-2040.
There could be around around 208,000 deaths of all cancers combined every year in the UK by 2038-2040, projections suggest.
Cancer causes one in four of all deaths in the UK (2021).
UK mortality is ranked lower than two-thirds of Europe.
UK mortality is ranked higher than two-thirds of the world.

See more in-depth cancer mortality statistics for all cancers combined

All cancers combined survival

1 in 2 (49.8%) people diagnosed with all cancers combined in the UK survive their disease for ten years or more, it is predicted (2018).
All Cancers Combined ten-year survival in the UK is higher in females than in males (2018).
All Cancers Combined survival has increased in the last 50 years in the UK.
In the 1970s, around 1 in 4 (23.7%) people diagnosed with all cancers combined survived their disease beyond ten years, by 2018 it was 1 in 2 (49.8%).

See more in-depth cancer survival statistics for all cancers combined

All cancers combined risk

Nearly 1 in 2 people born in the UK in 1961 will be diagnosed with some form of cancer during their lifetime.
A person’s risk of developing cancer depends on many factors, including age, genetics, and exposure to risk factors.
Around 4 in 10 UK cancer cases every year could be prevented, that’s more than 135,000 every year (2015).
Nearly 112,000 England cases, around 13,000 Scotland cancer cases, around 7,200 Wales cancer cases, and around 3,500 Northern Ireland cancer cases every year could be prevented (2015).
Lung cancer, bowel cancer, melanoma skin cancer, and breast cancer together account for almost two-thirds of all preventable cancer cases in the UK (2015).
For 10 cancer types, including two of the five most common cancer types in the UK (lung cancer and melanoma skin cancer), more than 70% of UK cancer cases were attributable to known risk factors (2015).
Smoking is the largest cause of cancer in the UK (2015).
Overweight and obesity is the UK’s biggest cause of cancer after smoking (2015).
Overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, exposure to certain substances at work, exposure to certain infections, drinking alcohol, and eating too little fibre each cause 3-4% of cancer cases in the UK (2015).
Exposure to ionising radiation and eating processed meat each cause 1-2% of cancer cases in the UK (2015).
Exposure to outdoor air pollution and doing too little physical activity each cause 1% or less of cancer cases in the UK (2015).

See more in-depth risk statistics for all cancers combined

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All cancers combined statistics

Cases

Deaths

Survival

Preventable cases

All cancers combined incidence

All cancers combined mortality

All cancers combined survival

All cancers combined risk

Statistics by cancer type

Cancer Stats explained

Local Cancer Statistics

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