Cervical cancer incidence statistics

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Cases

New cases of cervical cancer, 2015-2017, UK.

 

Proportion of all cases

Percentage cervical cancer is of total cancer cases, 2015-2017, UK

 

Age

Peak rate of cervical cancer cases, 2015-2017, UK

 

Trend over time

Change in cervical cancer incidence rates since the early 1990s, Females, UK

Cervical cancer is the 14th most common cancer in females in the UK, accounting for 2% of all new cancer cases in females (2017).

In females and males combined, cervical cancer is not among the 20 most common cancers in the UK, accounting for less than 1% of all new cancer cases (2017).[1-4]

Cervical cancer incidence rates (European age-standardised (AS) rates Open a glossary item) for females are significantly lower than the UK average in Northern Ireland, 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, 2017

  England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland UK
Female Cases 2,591 277 167 66 3,101
Crude Rate 9.2 9.9 10.5 6.9 9.3
AS Rate 9.4 10.1 10.9 7.2 9.4
AS Rate - 95% LCL 9.0 8.9 9.3 5.5 9.1
AS Rate - 95% UCL 9.7 11.3 12.6 9.0 9.8
Persons Cases 2,591 277 167 66 3,101
Crude Rate 4.7 5.1 5.3 3.5 4.7
AS Rate 4.8 5.2 5.6 3.7 4.8
AS Rate - 95% LCL 4.6 4.6 4.8 2.8 4.6
AS Rate - 95% UCL 5.0 5.8 6.5 4.6 5.0

95% LCL and 95% UCL are the 95% lower and upper confidence limits Open a glossary item around the AS Rate Open a glossary item
 

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

References

  1. Data were provided by the National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service (part of Public Health England), on request through the Office for Data Release, November 2019. Similar data can be found here: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/bulletins/cancerregistrationstatisticsengland/previousReleases
  2. Data were provided by ISD Scotland on request, April 2019. Similar data can be found here: http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Cancer/Publications.
  3. Data were provided by the Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit, Health Intelligence Division, Public Health Wales on request, December 2019. Similar data can be found here: http://www.wcisu.wales.nhs.uk.
  4. Data were provided by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry on request, May 2019. Similar data can be found here: http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/nicr/.

About this data

Data is for UK, 2017, ICD-10 C53.

Last reviewed:

Cervical cancer incidence is related to age, with the highest incidence rates being in the 30 to 34 age group. In the UK in 2015-2017, on average each year around a tenth of new cases (9%) 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 30-34 age group, then drop until age 50-54, fluctuating in the older age groups and falling again in the oldest age groups.The highest rates are in in the 30 to 34 age group.

Cervical cancer (C53), Average Number of New Cases per Year and Age-Specific Incidence Rates per 100,000 Females, UK, 2015-2017

For cervical cancer, incidence increases rapidly from age 25 when routine screening starts, with a dip thereafter. This reflects both the diagnosis of prevalent cases at first-time screening, prevention of a high proportion of incident cases in the ongoing screening age group, and the likely peak of HPV exposure in early adulthood. Incidence starts to rise again around ten years after age 64 when routine screening ends, which may be a return to the rates expected in this age group without the preventive effect of screening. The overall decrease in incidence with increasing age reflects lower levels of HPV infection in older people.

See also

Cervical cancer mortality statistics by age

Cancer incidence statistics by age for all cancers

Cervical screening

References

  1. Data were provided by the National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service (part of Public Health England), on request through the Office for Data Release, November 2019. Similar data can be found here: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/bulletins/cancerregistrationstatisticsengland/previousReleases
  2. Data were provided by ISD Scotland on request, April 2019. Similar data can be found here: http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Cancer/Publications.
  3. Data were provided by the Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit, Health Intelligence Division, Public Health Wales on request, December 2019. Similar data can be found here: http://www.wcisu.wales.nhs.uk.
  4. Data were provided by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry on request, May 2019. Similar data can be found here: http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/nicr/.

About this data

Data is for UK, 2015-2017, C53.

Last reviewed:

Cervical cancer European age-standardised (AS) Open a glossary item incidence rates for females decreased by 25% in the UK between 1993-1995 and 2015-2017.[1-4].

Over the last decade in the UK (between 2005-2007 and 2015-2017), cervical cancer AS incidence rates for females remained stable.[1-4]

Cervical Cancer (ICD-10 C53), European Age-Standardised Incidence Rates, Females, UK, 1993-2017

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 0-24s have increased by 60%, in 25-34s have increased by 40%, in 35-49s have decreased by 19%, in 50-64s have decreased by 36%, in 65-79s have decreased by 57%, and in 80+s have decreased by 50%.

Cervical Cancer (ICD-10 C53), European Age-Standardised Incidence Rates, By Age, Females, UK, 1993-2017

Cervical cancer incidence trends probably reflect the effective implementation of the UK cervical screening programmes in the late 1980s.[5] Cervical screening aims to prevent cancer developing by detecting early-stage cell changes (e.g. in situ cervical carcinoma). Changing prevalence of risk factors probably also plays a part, particularly among younger women in more recent years.[5]

References

  1. Data were provided by the National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service (part of Public Health England), on request through the Office for Data Release, November 2019. Similar data can be found here: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/bulletins/cancerregistrationstatisticsengland/previousReleases
  2. Data were provided by ISD Scotland on request, April 2019. Similar data can be found here: http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Cancer/Publications.
  3. Data were provided by the Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit, Health Intelligence Division, Public Health Wales on request, December 2019. Similar data can be found here: http://www.wcisu.wales.nhs.uk.
  4. Data were provided by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry on request, May 2019. Similar data can be found here: http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/nicr/.
  5. Pesola F and Sasieni P. Impact of screening on cervical cancer incidence in England: a time trend analysis. BMJ 2019; 9(1) e026292.

About this data

Data is for UK, 1993-2017, ICD-10 C53.

Last reviewed:

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

See also

View our patient information on staging for cervical cancer

Cervical cancer survival by stage at diagnosis

More about incidence by stage data collection and quality

Routes to Diagnosis

References

  1. Northern Ireland Cancer Registry, Queens University Belfast, Incidence by stage 2010-2014. Belfast: NICR; 2016

About this data

Data is for: Northern Ireland, 2010-2014, ICD10 C53

Last reviewed:

Projections which take into account the expected impact of HPV vaccination indicate that cervical cancer incidence rates will fall in future decades.[1] Projections which reflect past trends in cancer incidence, but do not model the possible impact of HPV vaccination, suggest that cervical cancer incidence will rise in future decades;[2] these may act as a benchmark for evaluating the impact of HPV vaccination.

References

  1. Castanon A, Landy R, Pesola F, Windridge P, Sasieni P. Prediction of cervical cancer incidence in England, UK, up to 2040, under four scenarios: a modelling study. Lancet Public Health 2018;3(1):e34-e43.
  2. Smittenaar CR, Petersen KA, Stewart K, Moitt N. Cancer Incidence and Mortality Projections in the UK Until 2035. Brit J Cancer 2016.

About this data

Data is for: UK, 1979-2014 (observed), 2015-2035 (projected), ICD-10 C53

Projections are based on observed incidence and mortality rates and therefore implicitly include changes in cancer risk factors, diagnosis and treatment. It is not possible to assess the statistical significance of changes between 2014 (observed) and 2035 (projected) figures. Confidence intervals are not calculated for the projected figures. Projections are by their nature uncertain because unexpected events in future could change the trend. It is not sensible to calculate a boundary of uncertainty around these already uncertain point estimates. Changes are described as 'increase' or 'decrease' if there is any difference between the point estimates.

More on projections methodology

Last reviewed:

Cervical cancer incidence rates (European age-standardised (AS) rates Open a glossary item) in England in females are 65% higher in the most deprived quintile compared with the least (2013-2017).[1]

It is estimated that there are around 520 more cases of cervical cancer each year in England than there would be if every deprivation quintile had the same age-specific crude incidence rates as the least deprived quintile.

Cervical Cancer (C53), Estimated Average Number of Excess Cases per Year and European Age-Standardised Incidence Rates per 100,000 Population, by Deprivation Quintile, England, 2013-2017

See also

Data table: Cancer incidence rates and excess cases by cancer type in England

Incidence by deprivation for all cancer types combined

Cervical cancer mortality by deprivation  (not directly comparable with incidence by deprivation)

Cancer incidence by deprivation for Scotland

Cancer incidence by deprivation for Wales

Cancer incidence by deprivation for Northern Ireland

References

  1. Calculated by the Cancer Intelligence Team at Cancer Research UK, April 2020. Based on method reported in National Cancer Intelligence Network Cancer by Deprivation in England Incidence, 1996-2010 Mortality, 1997-2011 . Using cancer incidence data 2013-2017 (Public Health England) and population data 2013-2017 (Office for National Statistics) by Indices of Multiple Deprivation 2015 income domain quintile, cancer type, sex, and five-year age band.

About this data

Data is for England, 2013-2017, ICD-10 C21.

Last reviewed:

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.

See also

Find out more about the counting and coding of this data

Cervical cancer mortality statistics by ethnicity

Cancer incidence statistics by ethnicity

References

  1. National Cancer Intelligence Network and Cancer Research UK. Cancer Incidence and Survival by Major Ethnic Group, England, 2002-2006. 2009

About this data

Data is for England, 2002-2006, ICD-10 C53

Last reviewed:

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]

See also

Cervical cancer incidence statistics by sex and UK country

What is prevalence?

References

  1. Macmillan Cancer Support and National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service. Cancer Prevalence UK Data Tables. London: NCRAS; 2015.

About this data

Data is for: Great Britain (1991-2010) and Northern Ireland (1993-2010), ICD-10 C53

Last reviewed:

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Cancer stats explained

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the many organisations across the UK which collect, analyse, and share the data which we use, and to the patients and public who consent for their data to be used. Find out more about the sources which are essential for our statistics.