Lung cancer is the 3rd most common cancer in the UK, accounting for 13% of all new cancer cases (2016-2018).[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 ) for persons are significantly higher than the UK average in Scotland and Northern Ireland, significantly lower than the UK average in England, and similar to the UK average in 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, 2016-2018
England | Scotland | Wales | Northern Ireland | UK | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Female | Cases | 18,662 | 2,752 | 1,204 | 648 | 23,265 |
Crude Rate | 66.3 | 98.8 | 76.0 | 68.1 | 69.5 | |
AS Rate | 67.4 | 95.6 | 69.3 | 74.8 | 70.1 | |
AS Rate - 95% LCL | 66.8 | 93.5 | 67.0 | 71.5 | 69.6 | |
AS Rate - 95% UCL | 68.0 | 97.7 | 71.5 | 78.2 | 70.7 | |
Male | Cases | 20,678 | 2,603 | 1,309 | 694 | 25,284 |
Crude Rate | 75.2 | 98.6 | 84.9 | 75.4 | 77.6 | |
AS Rate | 88.4 | 111.8 | 88.2 | 97.5 | 90.6 | |
AS Rate - 95% LCL | 87.7 | 109.3 | 85.4 | 93.3 | 89.9 | |
AS Rate - 95% UCL | 89.1 | 114.3 | 91.0 | 101.7 | 91.2 | |
Persons | Cases | 39,340 | 5,355 | 2,513 | 1,342 | 48,549 |
Crude Rate | 70.7 | 98.7 | 80.4 | 71.7 | 73.5 | |
AS Rate | 76.5 | 102.2 | 77.4 | 84.2 | 79.0 | |
AS Rate - 95% LCL | 76.1 | 100.6 | 75.6 | 81.6 | 78.6 | |
AS Rate - 95% UCL | 77.0 | 103.8 | 79.1 | 86.8 | 79.4 |

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 C33-C34.