Bowel cancer survival statistics

Trend over time

Change in bowel cancer 10-year survival between the 1970s and 2010s, UK

As with most cancers, survival for bowel cancer is improving. One-year age-standardised Open a glossary item net survival for bowel cancer in men has increased from 47% during 1971-1972 to 77% during 2010-2011 in England and Wales – an absolute survival difference Open a glossary item of 30 percentage points.[1] In women, one-year survival has increased from 45% to 74% over the same time period (a difference of 29 percentage points).

Bowel Cancer (C18-C20 and C21.8), Age-Standardised One-Year Net Survival, Adults (Aged 15-99), England and Wales, 1971-2011

Survival is a weighted average derived from data for colon (C18) and rectum cancer (C19-C20, C21.8)

Five-year age-standardised Open a glossary item net survival for bowel cancer in men has increased from 25% during 1971-1972 to a predicted survival of 59% during 2010-2011 in England and Wales – an absolute survival difference of 35 percentage points.[1] In women, five-year survival has increased from 24% to 58% over the same time period (a difference of 34 percentage points).

Bowel Cancer (C18-C20 and C21.8), Age-Standardised Five-Year Net Survival, Adults (Aged 15-99), England and Wales, 1971-2011

Survival is a weighted average derived from data for colon (C18) and rectum cancer (C19-C20, C21.8).

Five-year survival for 2010-2011 is predicted using an excess hazard statistical model.

Ten-year survival has followed the same trend as one- and five-year survival since the early 1970s. Ten-year age-standardised Open a glossary item net survival for bowel cancer in men has increased from 22% during 1971-1972 to a predicted survival of 56% during 2010-2011 in England and Wales – an absolute survival difference of 35 percentage points.[1] In women, ten-year survival has increased from 22% to 57% over the same time period (a difference of 35 percentage points). Overall, nearly 6 in 10 people diagnosed with bowel cancer today are predicted to survive their disease for at least ten years.

Bowel Cancer (C18-C20 and C21.8), Age-Standardised Ten-Year Net Survival, Adults (Aged 15-99), England and Wales, 1971-2011

Survival is a weighted average derived from data for colon (C18) and rectum cancer (C19-C20, C21.8).

Ten-year survival for 2005-2006 and 2010-2011 is predicted using an excess hazard statistical model.

References

  1. Data were provided by London School of Hygiene and Tropical  Medicine on request, 2014.

About this data

Data is for England and Wales, 1971-2011, ICD-10 C18-C20 and C21.8

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