Cancer of unknown primary is the 15th most common cancer in the UK, accounting for 2% of all new cancer cases (2016-2018).[1-4]
In females in the UK, cancer of unknown primary is the 11th most common cancer (2% of all new female cancer cases). In males in the UK, it is the 14th most common cancer (2% of all new male cancer cases).
52% of cancer of unknown primary cases in the UK are in females, and 48% are in males.
Cancer of unknown primary incidence rates (European age-standardised
For cancer of unknown primary, there are few established risk factors therefore differences between countries largely reflect differences in diagnosis and data recording.
Cancer of Unknown Primary (C77-C80), 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 | 3,639 | 412 | 270 | 103 | 4,424 |
Crude Rate | 12.9 | 14.8 | 17.1 | 10.8 | 13.2 | |
AS Rate | 12.5 | 14.0 | 15.0 | 11.4 | 12.7 | |
AS Rate - 95% LCL | 12.3 | 13.2 | 14.0 | 10.1 | 12.5 | |
AS Rate - 95% UCL | 12.8 | 14.8 | 16.0 | 12.7 | 13.0 | |
Male | Cases | 3,424 | 376 | 271 | 95 | 4,165 |
Crude Rate | 12.5 | 14.2 | 17.6 | 10.3 | 12.8 | |
AS Rate | 15.0 | 16.9 | 19.0 | 13.8 | 15.3 | |
AS Rate - 95% LCL | 14.7 | 15.9 | 17.7 | 12.2 | 15.0 | |
AS Rate - 95% UCL | 15.3 | 17.9 | 20.3 | 15.5 | 15.6 | |
Persons | Cases | 7,063 | 788 | 541 | 197 | 8,589 |
Crude Rate | 12.7 | 14.5 | 17.3 | 10.5 | 13.0 | |
AS Rate | 13.6 | 15.3 | 16.7 | 12.6 | 13.9 | |
AS Rate - 95% LCL | 13.4 | 14.6 | 15.9 | 11.6 | 13.7 | |
AS Rate - 95% UCL | 13.8 | 15.9 | 17.5 | 13.6 | 14.0 |
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 C77-C80.