Head and neck cancer is the 8th most common cancer in the UK, accounting for 3% of all new cancer cases (2016-2018).[1-4]
In females in the UK, head and neck cancer is the 13th most common cancer (2% of all new female cancer cases). In males in the UK, it is the 4th most common cancer (4% of all new male cancer cases).
31% of head and neck cancer cases in the UK are in females, and 69% are in males.
Head and neck cancer incidence rates (European age-standardised ) for persons are significantly higher than the UK average in Scotland and Wales, significantly lower than the UK average in England, and similar to the UK average in Northern Ireland.
For head and neck cancer, like most cancer types, differences between countries largely reflect risk factor prevalence in years past.
Head and Neck Cancer (C00-C14, C30-C32), 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 | 3,149 | 383 | 217 | 112 | 3,861 |
Crude Rate | 11.2 | 13.8 | 13.7 | 11.7 | 11.5 | |
AS Rate | 11.5 | 13.4 | 12.9 | 12.7 | 11.7 | |
AS Rate - 95% LCL | 11.2 | 12.6 | 11.9 | 11.4 | 11.5 | |
AS Rate - 95% UCL | 11.7 | 14.2 | 13.9 | 14.1 | 12.0 | |
Male | Cases | 6,904 | 905 | 519 | 234 | 8,562 |
Crude Rate | 25.1 | 34.3 | 33.7 | 25.4 | 26.3 | |
AS Rate | 27.9 | 36.1 | 34.0 | 30.0 | 28.9 | |
AS Rate - 95% LCL | 27.5 | 34.7 | 32.3 | 27.8 | 28.6 | |
AS Rate - 95% UCL | 28.2 | 37.5 | 35.7 | 32.2 | 29.3 | |
Persons | Cases | 10,053 | 1,288 | 736 | 345 | 12,422 |
Crude Rate | 18.1 | 23.8 | 23.6 | 18.5 | 18.8 | |
AS Rate | 19.3 | 24.0 | 23.0 | 20.8 | 19.9 | |
AS Rate - 95% LCL | 19.1 | 23.2 | 22.0 | 19.6 | 19.7 | |
AS Rate - 95% UCL | 19.5 | 24.7 | 23.9 | 22.1 | 20.1 |

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 C00-C14, C30-C32.