Brain, other CNS and intracranial tumours is the 9th most common cancer in the UK, accounting for 3% of all new cancer cases (2016-2018).[1-4]
In females in the UK, brain, other CNS and intracranial tumours is the 7th most common cancer (4% of all new female cancer cases). In males in the UK, it is the 11th most common cancer (3% of all new male cancer cases).
52% of brain, other CNS and intracranial tumours cases in the UK are in females, and 48% are in males.
Brain, other CNS and intracranial tumours incidence rates (European age-standardised ) for persons are significantly higher than the UK average in Northern Ireland and similar to the UK average in all other UK constituent countries.
For brain, other CNS and intracranial tumours, there are few established risk factors therefore differences between countries largely reflect differences in diagnosis and data recording.
Brain, Other CNS and Intracranial Tumours (C70-C72, C75.1-C75.3, D32-D33, D35.2-D35.4, D42-D43, D44.3-D44.5), 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 | 5,359 | 563 | 321 | 201 | 6,444 |
Crude Rate | 19.0 | 20.2 | 20.3 | 21.1 | 19.3 | |
AS Rate | 19.4 | 19.7 | 19.5 | 22.2 | 19.5 | |
AS Rate - 95% LCL | 19.1 | 18.8 | 18.2 | 20.4 | 19.2 | |
AS Rate - 95% UCL | 19.7 | 20.7 | 20.7 | 24.0 | 19.7 | |
Male | Cases | 4,868 | 478 | 303 | 194 | 5,843 |
Crude Rate | 17.7 | 18.1 | 19.7 | 21.0 | 17.9 | |
AS Rate | 19.4 | 19.4 | 20.2 | 24.5 | 19.5 | |
AS Rate - 95% LCL | 19.0 | 18.4 | 18.9 | 22.5 | 19.2 | |
AS Rate - 95% UCL | 19.7 | 20.4 | 21.5 | 26.4 | 19.8 | |
Persons | Cases | 10,227 | 1,042 | 625 | 394 | 12,288 |
Crude Rate | 18.4 | 19.2 | 20.0 | 21.1 | 18.6 | |
AS Rate | 19.3 | 19.6 | 19.9 | 23.3 | 19.5 | |
AS Rate - 95% LCL | 19.1 | 18.9 | 19.0 | 21.9 | 19.3 | |
AS Rate - 95% UCL | 19.5 | 20.3 | 20.8 | 24.6 | 19.7 |

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 C70-C72, C75.1-C75.3, D32-D33, D35.2-D35.4, D42-D43, D44.3-D44.5.
Data was not available for Wales in 2018 for ICD-10 D32-D33, D35.2-D35.4, D42-D43, D44.3-D44.5, therefore the 2018 data was extrapolated using the 2017 figures.