Anal cancer is not among the 20 most common cancers in the UK, accounting for less than 1% of all new cancer cases (2016-2018).[1-4]
In females in the UK, anal cancer is not among the 20 most common cancers (less than 1% of all new female cancer cases). In males in the UK, it is not among the 20 most common cancers (less than 1% of all new male cancer cases).
66% of anal cancer cases in the UK are in females, and 34% are in males.
Anal cancer incidence rates (European age-standardised ) for persons are similar to the UK average in all the UK constituent countries.
Anal cancer is one of the few non-sex-specific cancer types which is more common in women than men, this is probably due to sex differences in risk factor prevalence.
Anal Cancer (C21), Average Number of New Cases Per Year, Crude and European Age-Standardised (AS) Incidence Rates per 100,000 Population, UK, 2016-2018
England | Scotland | Wales | Northern Ireland | UK | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Female | Cases | 837 | 90 | 55 | 24 | 1,007 |
Crude Rate | 3.0 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 2.6 | 3.0 | |
AS Rate | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.3 | 2.8 | 3.1 | |
AS Rate - 95% LCL | 2.9 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 2.1 | 3.0 | |
AS Rate - 95% UCL | 3.2 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 3.2 | |
Male | Cases | 427 | 46 | 28 | 10 | 511 |
Crude Rate | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 1.6 | |
AS Rate | 1.7 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 1.3 | 1.7 | |
AS Rate - 95% LCL | 1.6 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 1.7 | |
AS Rate - 95% UCL | 1.8 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 1.8 | 1.8 | |
Persons | Cases | 1,265 | 136 | 83 | 35 | 1,519 |
Crude Rate | 2.3 | 2.5 | 2.7 | 1.9 | 2.3 | |
AS Rate | 2.4 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.1 | 2.4 | |
AS Rate - 95% LCL | 2.4 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 1.7 | 2.4 | |
AS Rate - 95% UCL | 2.5 | 2.8 | 2.9 | 2.5 | 2.5 |

References
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Data were provided by the National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service (part of Public Health England), on request through the Office for Data Release, July 2021. Similar data can be found here: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/bulletins/cancerregistrationstatisticsengland/previousReleases
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Data were provided by ISD Scotland on request, April 2020. Similar data can be found here: http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Cancer/Publications.
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Data were published by the Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit, Health Intelligence Division, Public Health Wales https://phw.nhs.wales/services-and-teams/welsh-cancer-intelligence-and-surveillance-unit-wcisu/cancer-incidence-in-wales-2002-2018/, March 2021.
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Data were provided by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry on request, May 2020. Similar data can be found here: http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/nicr/.
About this data
Data is for UK, 2016-2018, ICD-10 C21.