Cervical cancer incidence statistics

Cervical cancer is the 14th most common cancer in females in the UK, accounting for 2% of all new cancer cases in females (2015).[1-4]

Cervical cancer incidence rates (European age-standardised (AS) rates ) are significantly higher than the UK average in Scotland, and similar to the UK average in all other UK constituent countries.

Cervical Cancer (C53), Number of New Cases, Crude and European Age-Standardised (AS) Incidence Rates per 100,000 Population, Females, UK, 2015

95% LCL and 95% UCL are the 95% lower and upper confidence limits   around the AS Rate

For cervical cancer, like most cancer types, differences between countries largely reflect risk factor prevalence in years past.

Cervical cancer incidence is related to age, with the highest incidence rates being in the 25 to 29 age group. In the UK in 2013-2015, on average each year around a tenth (11%) of new cases were in females aged 75 and over.[1-4] This is a lower proportion of cases in older age groups compared with most cancers.

Age-specific incidence rates rise sharply from around age 15-19 and peak in the 25-29 age group, then drop gradually until age 60-64 before rising again. The highest rates are in the 25 to 29 age group.

Cervical Cancer (C53), Average Number of New Cases per Year and Age-Specific Incidence Rates per 100,000 Population, Females, UK, 2013-2015

95% LCL and 95% UCL are the 95% lower and upper confidence limits   around the AS Rate

For cervical cancer, like other cancer types with a screening programme, incidence increases rapidly at the age screening starts, as prevalent cases are identified. Incidence then tends to return to the usual pattern of gradual increase with age, which largely reflects cell DNA damage accumulating over time. Damage can result from biological processes or from exposure to risk factors. A drop or plateau in incidence in the oldest age groups often indicates reduced diagnostic activity perhaps due to general ill health.

Cervical cancer European age-standardised (AS) incidence rates for females decreased by 24% in the UK between 1993-1995 and 2013-2015.[1-4].

Over the last decade in the UK (between 2003-2005 and 2013-2015), cervical cancer AS incidence rates for females increased by 5%.[1-4]

Cervical Cancer (C53), European Age-Standardised Incidence Rates, Females, UK, 1993-2015

Cervical cancer incidence rates have decreased overall in some broad age groups in females in the UK since the early 1990s but have increased in others.[1-4] Rates in 20-24s have increased by 93%, in 25-34s have increased by 47%, in 35-49s have decreased by 20%, in 50-64s have decreased by 38%, in 65-79s have decreased by 55%, and in 80+s have decreased by 39%.

Cervical Cancer (C53), European Age-Standardised Incidence Rates, By Age, Females, UK, 1993-2015

Overall stage at diagnosis

A high proportion (95%) of cervical cancers recorded with a known stage at diagnosis in Northern Ireland.[1]

Cervical cancer patients diagnosed with a known stage are most commonly diagnosed at stage I (57%). More patients with a known stage are diagnosed at an early stage (76% are diagnosed at stage I or II), than a late stage (25% are diagnosed at stage III or IV). Around 1 in 10 (9%) have metastases at diagnosis (stage IV).[1]

The stage distribution for each cancer type will reflect many factors including how the cancer type develops, the way symptoms appear, public awareness of symptoms, how quickly a person goes to see their doctor and how quickly the cancer is recognised and diagnosed by a doctor. It might also relate to whether a national screening programme that can detect early stage disease exists for that cancer type, along with the extent of uptake of that programme.

A cancer type associated with a large proportion of early stage diagnoses could be one that is more likely to be symptomatic at an earlier stage of development, with recognisable symptoms rather than more generic ones.

Cervical Cancer (C53), Proportion of Cases Diagnosed at Each Stage, All Ages, Northern Ireland 2010-2014

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It has been estimated that around two thirds of cervical cancers are squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)  and around 15% are adenocarcinoma  (with nearly all of the remainder of cases being registered as poorly specified).[1-3] An analysis of cervical cancer incidence in Sweden has shown that an early age peak at 35-39 years is apparent for both SCC and adenocarcinoma.[4]

A study by the International Agency for Research on Cancer has reported an increase in adenocarcinoma and a downward trend in SCC in many countries worldwide.[5,6]

Cervical cancer incidence rates are projected to rise by 43% in the UK between 2014 and 2035, to 17 cases per 100,000 females by 2035.[1]

Cervical cancer (C53), Observed and Projected Age-Standardised Incidence Rates, by Sex, UK, 1979-2035

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It is projected that 4,792 cases of cervical cancer will be diagnosed in the UK in 2035.

There is evidence for an association between cervical cancer incidence and deprivation in England.[1] European age-standardised incidence rates are 72% higher for females living in the most deprived areas in England compared with the least deprived, as shown for females diagnosed with cervical cancer during 2006-2010.[1]

Cervical Cancer (C53), European Age-Standardised Incidence Rates by Deprivation Quintile, Females, England, 2006-2010

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The estimated deprivation gradient in cervical cancer incidence between females living in the most and least deprived areas in England has not changed in the period 1996-2010.[1] It is estimated that there would have been around 520 fewer cervical cancer cases each year in England during 2006-2010 if all females experienced the same incidence rates as the least deprived.[1]

Age-standardised rates for White females with cervical cancer range from 8.2 to 8.7 per 100,000. Rates for Black females are similar, ranging from 6.3 to 11.2 per 100,000, whereas the rates for Asian females are significantly lower, ranging from 3.6 to 6.5 per 100,000.[1]

Ranges are given because of the analysis methodology used to account for missing and unknown data. For cervical cancer, 11,579 cases were identified; 22% had no known ethnicity.

An estimated 34,800 women who had been diagnosed with cervical cancer between 1991 and 2010 were alive in the UK at the end of 2010.[1]

Cervical cancer is the sixth most common cancer in Europe for females, and the 16th most common cancer overall, with around 58,400 new cases diagnosed in 2012 (4% of female cases and 2% of the total). In Europe (2012), the highest World age-standardised incidence rates for cervical cancer are in Romania; the lowest are in Switzerland. UK cervical cancer incidence rates are estimated to be the 12th lowest in Europe.[1] These data are broadly in line with Europe-specific data available elsewhere.[2]

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer worldwide for females, and the seventh most common cancer overall, with more than 527,000 new cases diagnosed in 2012 (8% of female cases and 4% of the total). Cervical cancer incidence rates are highest in Eastern Africa and lowest in Western Asia, but this partly reflects varying data quality worldwide.[1]

Variation between countries may reflect different prevalence of risk factors, use of screening, and diagnostic methods.