Lung cancer incidence statistics

Lung cancer is the 3rd most common cancer in the UK, accounting for 13% of all new cancer cases (2017-2019).[1-4]

In females in the UK, lung cancer is the 2nd most common cancer (13% of all new female cancer cases). In males in the UK, it is the 2nd most common cancer (13% of all new male cancer cases).

48% of lung cancer cases in the UK are in females, and 52% are in males.

Lung cancer incidence rates (European age-standardised (AS) rate Open a glossary item) for persons are significantly higher than the UK average in Scotland and Northern Ireland and significantly lower than the UK average in England and Wales.

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

Lung Cancer (C33-C34), Average Number of New Cases Per Year, Crude and European Age-Standardised (AS) Incidence Rates per 100,000 Population, UK, 2017-2019

  England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland UK
Female Cases 19,168 2,812 1,193 652 23,825
Crude Rate 67.7 100.7 75.0 68.2 70.8
AS Rate 68.0 96.3 67.6 74.2 70.6
AS Rate - 95% LCL 67.5 94.3 65.4 70.9 70.1
AS Rate - 95% UCL 68.6 98.4 69.8 77.5 71.1
Male Cases 20,761 2,624 1,314 705 25,404
Crude Rate 75.1 99.0 84.9 76.1 77.5
AS Rate 86.8 110.5 86.7 96.8 89.0
AS Rate - 95% LCL 86.2 108.1 84.0 92.6 88.4
AS Rate - 95% UCL 87.5 113.0 89.4 100.9 89.7
Persons Cases 39,928 5,436 2,508 1,357 49,229
Crude Rate 71.4 99.9 79.9 72.1 74.1
AS Rate 76.2 102.0 75.9 83.7 78.6
AS Rate - 95% LCL 75.8 100.5 74.2 81.1 78.2
AS Rate - 95% UCL 76.6 103.6 77.6 86.3 79.0
95% LCL and 95% UCL are the 95% lower and upper confidence limits around the AS Rate Open a glossary item

References

  1. England data were provided by the National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service (NCRAS), part of the National Disease Registration Service (NDRS) in NHS England, on request through the Office for Data Release, January 2023. Similar data can be found here: https://www.cancerdata.nhs.uk/ 

  2.  Northern Ireland data were provided by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry (NICR) on request, October 2021. Similar data can be found here:http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/nicr/. 

  3. Welsh data were published by the Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit (WCISU), Health Intelligence Division, Public Health Wales https://phw.nhs.wales/services-and-teams/welsh-cancer-intelligence-and-surveillance-unit-wcisu/cancer-reporting-tool-official-statistics/ June 2022. 

  4. Scotland data were provided by the Scottish Cancer Registry, Public Health Scotland (PHS) on request, May 2021. Similar data can be found here: https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/show-all-releases?id=20468

About this data

Data is for UK, 2017-2019, ICD-10 C33-C34.

Last reviewed:

In the UK in 2017-2019, on average each year almost half of new cases (45%) were in people aged 75 and over.[1-4]

Age-specific incidence rates rise from around age 40-44, steadily for females and more steeply for males. The highest rates are in the 75 to 79 age group for females and the 85 to 89 age group for males.

Incidence rates are significantly lower for females than males in a number of (mainly older) age groups. The gap is widest at age 90+, when the age-specific incidence rate is 1.9 times lower for females than males.

Lung Cancer (C33-C34), Average Number of New Cases per Year and Age-Specific Incidence Rates per 100,000 Population, UK, 2017-2019

For lung cancer, like most cancer types, incidence increases with age. This 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.

 

See also

Lung cancer mortality statistics by age

Lung cancer survival statistics by age

Cancer incidence statistics by age for all cancers

References

  1. England data were provided by the National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service (NCRAS), part of the National Disease Registration Service (NDRS) in NHS England, on request through the Office for Data Release, January 2023. Similar data can be found here: https://www.cancerdata.nhs.uk/ 

  2.  Northern Ireland data were provided by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry (NICR) on request, October 2021. Similar data can be found here:http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/nicr/. 

  3. Welsh data were published by the Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit (WCISU), Health Intelligence Division, Public Health Wales https://phw.nhs.wales/services-and-teams/welsh-cancer-intelligence-and-surveillance-unit-wcisu/cancer-reporting-tool-official-statistics/ June 2022. 

  4. Scotland data were provided by the Scottish Cancer Registry, Public Health Scotland (PHS) on request, May 2021. Similar data can be found here: https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/show-all-releases?id=20468

About this data

Data is for UK, 2017-2019, ICD-10 C33-C34.

Last reviewed:

Lung cancer European age-standardised (AS) Open a glossary item incidence rates for females and males combined decreased by 9% in the UK between 1993-1995 and 2017-2019.[1-4] The change varied markedly between sexes.

For females, lung cancer AS incidence rates in the UK increased by 32% between 1993-1995 and 2017-2019. For males, lung cancer AS incidence rates in the UK decreased by 35% between 1993-1995 and 2017-2019.

Over the last decade in the UK (between 2007-2009 and 2017-2019), lung cancer AS incidence rates for females and males combined decreased by 1%. In females AS incidence rates increased by 11%, and in males rates decreased by 13%.

Lung Cancer (ICD-10 C33-C34), European Age-Standardised Incidence Rates, Persons Population, 1993 to 2019

Lung cancer incidence rates have increased overall in some broad age groups in females in the UK since the early 1990s, but have decreased or remained stable in others[1-4] Rates in 0-24s have increased by 129%, in 25-49s have decreased by 12%, in 50-59s have remained stable, in 60-69s have increased by 14%, in 70-79s have increased by 38% and in 80+s have increased by 82%.

Lung Cancer (ICD-10 C33-C34), European Age-Standardised Incidence Rates per 100,000 Female Population, By Age, UK, 1993-2019

Lung cancer incidence rates have decreased overall in most broad age groups in males in the UK since the early 1990s, but have remained stable in some.[1-4] Rates in 0-24s have remained stable, in 25-49s have decreased by 38%, in 50-59s have decreased by 46%, in 60-69s have decreased by 41%, in 70-79s have decreased by 34% and in 80+s have decreased by 26%.

Lung Cancer (ICD-10 C33-C34), European Age-Standardised Incidence Rates per 100,000 Male Population, By Age, UK, 1993-2019

For lung cancer, like most cancer types, incidence trends largely reflect changing prevalence of risk factors and improvements in diagnosis and data recording. Recent incidence trends are influenced by risk factor prevalence in years past, and trends by age group reflect risk factor exposure in birth cohorts.

Lung Cancer (C33-C34) European Age-Standardised Incidence Rates and Smoking Prevalence, Great Britain, 1948-2019 [1-6]

References

  1. England data were provided by the National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service (NCRAS), part of the National Disease Registration Service (NDRS) in NHS England, on request through the Office for Data Release, January 2023. Similar data can be found here: https://www.cancerdata.nhs.uk/ 

  2.  Northern Ireland data were provided by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry (NICR) on request, October 2021. Similar data can be found here:http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/nicr/. 

  3. Welsh data were published by the Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit (WCISU), Health Intelligence Division, Public Health Wales https://phw.nhs.wales/services-and-teams/welsh-cancer-intelligence-and-surveillance-unit-wcisu/cancer-reporting-tool-official-statistics/ June 2022. 

  4. Scotland data were provided by the Scottish Cancer Registry, Public Health Scotland (PHS) on request, May 2021. Similar data can be found here: https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/show-all-releases?id=20468

  5. Sex specific smoking prevalence in Great Britain 1948 to 1970. PN Lee Statistics and Computing Ltd. International Smoking Statistics Web Edition (http://www.pnlee.co.uk/iss2.htm)

  6. Adult smoking habits in the UK: 1974-2019 https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/healthandlifeexpectancies/bulletins/adultsmokinghabitsingreatbritain/2019

About this data

Data is for UK, 1993-2019, ICD-10 C33-C34.

Last reviewed:

The most common specific location for lung cancers in the UK is the upper lobe of the bronchus or lung (2016-2018).[1-4] Variation of incidence by anatomical site may reflect the physical size of each site, and differences in risk factor exposure by site, among other factors.

Download this data

Cases and percentages may not sum due to rounding

See also

Find out more about the counting and coding of this data

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, July 2021. Similar data can be found here: https://www.ons.gov.uk
  2. Data were provided by ISD Scotland on request, April 2020. Similar data can be found here: http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Cancer/Publications.
  3. Data were published by the Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit, Health Intelligence Division, Public Health Wales, March 2021. https://phw.nhs.wales/services-and-teams/welsh-cancer-intelligence-and-surveillance-unit-wcisu/cancer-incidence-in-wales-2002-2018/.
  4. Data were provided by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry on request, June 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 C33-C34. For some cases the specific location of the cancer is not recorded, this may be due to clinical or data recording factors.

Last reviewed:

The number of new lung cancer cases on average each year in the UK is projected to rise from around 55,400 cases in 2023-2025 to around 66,200 cases in 2038-2040.[1]

Lung cancer incidence rates are projected to fall by 2% in the UK between 2023-2025 and 2038-2040, to 78 cases per 100,000 people on average each year by 2038-2040.[1] This includes a decrease in rates for males and an increase in females.

For females, lung cancer European age standardised (AS) incidence rates Open a glossary item in the UK are projected to rise by 3% between 2023-2025 and 2038-2040, to 78 cases per 100,000 per year by 2038-2040.[1] For males, AS rates are projected to fall by 7% between 2023-2025 and 2038-2040, to 80 cases per 100,000 per year by 2038-2040.[1]

Lung cancer (C33-C34), Observed and Projected Age-Standardised Incidence Rates, by Sex, UK, 1993-2040

Download the data table (xlsx)

See also

Find out how these projections were calculated

Incidence trends over time for lung cancer

Projections of incidence for all cancers combined

Lung cancer risk

Download the projections data table

References

Calculated by the Cancer Intelligence Team at Cancer Research UK, February 2023. Age-period-cohort modelling approach described here, using 2020-based population projections (Office for National Statistics) and observed cancer incidence (1975-2018 for England, Scotland and Wales, 1993-2018 for Northern Ireland).

About this data

Data is for: UK, 1979-2014 (observed), 2015-2035 (projected), ICD-10 C33-C34

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:

Lung cancer incidence rates (European age-standardised (AS) rates Open a glossary item) in England in females are 174% higher in the most deprived quintile compared with the least, and in males are 168% higher in the most deprived quintile compared with the least (2013-2017).[1]

It is estimated that there are around 14,300 more cases of lung 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. Around 6,600 of these cases are in females, and around 7,800 in males.

In the text above, males and females’ excess cases do not sum to persons excess cases due to rounding.
 

Lung Cancer (C33-C34), 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

Lung 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 C33-C34.

Last reviewed:

Cancer stats explained

See information and explanations on terminology used for statistics and reporting of cancer, and the methods used to calculate some of our statistics.

Cancer stats explained

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