Head and neck cancer is the 7th most common cancer in the UK with around 13,800 new cases every year; that’s 38 every day (2019, 2021-2022). Each year around a quarter (24%) of all new head and neck cancer cases in the UK are diagnosed in people aged 75 and over (2019, 2021-2022).
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Head and neck cancer accounts for 3% of all new cancer cases in the UK, with around 4,300 new cases in females and around 9,500 new cases in males every year (2019, 2021-2022).
Explore more detailed gender stats on our data hub for head and neck cancer
Incidence rates for head and neck cancer are highest in people aged 65 to 69 in the UK, with 3 in 20 (15%) of all new head and neck cancer cases diagnosed in this age group (2019, 2021-2022).
Exploremore detailed age stats on our data hub for head and neck cancer
Head and neck cancer incidence rates have increased by around two-fifths (41%) in the UK since the early 1990s and rates have increased by around a tenth (11%) in the last decade (2019, 2021-2022).
Explore more detailed trends stats on our data hub for head and neck cancer
Head and neck cancer incidence rates in the UK are projected to increase by 3% between 2024-2026 and 2038-2040, with around 16,300 new cases each year by 2038-2040.
Explore more detailed projections stats on our data hub for head and neck cancer
Incidence rates for head and neck cancer are lower in the Asian and Black ethnic groups, and in people of mixed or multiple ethnicity, compared with the White ethnic group, in England. However, incidence rates are higher compared with the White ethnic group in females in the Asian ethnic group (2013-2017).
Read our publication Cancer Incidence by Broad Ethnic Group for more details.
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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
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.
Data were provided by Public Health Scotland on request, April 2020. Similar data can be found here.
Data were published by the Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit, Health Intelligence Division, Public Health Wales, March 2021. Data can be found here.
Data were provided by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry on request, June 2020. Similar data can be found here.
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.
