Melanoma skin cancer is the 5th most common cancer in the UK, accounting for 4% of all new cancer cases (2016-2018).[1-4]
In females in the UK, melanoma skin cancer is the 5th most common cancer (5% of all new female cancer cases). In males in the UK, it is the 6th most common cancer (4% of all new male cancer cases).
50% of melanoma skin cancer cases in the UK are in females, and 50% are in males.
Melanoma skin cancer incidence rates (European age-standardised ) for persons are significantly lower than the UK average in Scotland and Northern Ireland and similar to the UK average in all other UK constituent countries.
For melanoma skin cancer, like most cancer types, differences between countries largely reflect risk factor prevalence in years past.
Melanoma Skin Cancer (C43), 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 | 7,052 | 678 | 416 | 214 | 8,360 |
Crude Rate | 25.1 | 24.4 | 26.2 | 22.5 | 25.0 | |
AS Rate | 25.6 | 23.9 | 25.1 | 23.9 | 25.4 | |
AS Rate - 95% LCL | 25.2 | 22.9 | 23.8 | 22.0 | 25.1 | |
AS Rate - 95% UCL | 25.9 | 25.0 | 26.5 | 25.7 | 25.7 | |
Male | Cases | 7,087 | 667 | 454 | 176 | 8,384 |
Crude Rate | 25.8 | 25.3 | 29.5 | 19.2 | 25.7 | |
AS Rate | 29.3 | 27.9 | 30.8 | 23.3 | 29.1 | |
AS Rate - 95% LCL | 28.9 | 26.7 | 29.2 | 21.3 | 28.7 | |
AS Rate - 95% UCL | 29.7 | 29.2 | 32.4 | 25.3 | 29.4 | |
Persons | Cases | 14,139 | 1,345 | 870 | 390 | 16,744 |
Crude Rate | 25.4 | 24.8 | 27.8 | 20.9 | 25.4 | |
AS Rate | 27.0 | 25.4 | 27.5 | 23.4 | 26.8 | |
AS Rate - 95% LCL | 26.8 | 24.6 | 26.4 | 22.1 | 26.6 | |
AS Rate - 95% UCL | 27.3 | 26.2 | 28.6 | 24.7 | 27.0 |

References
-
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
-
Data were provided by ISD Scotland on request, April 2020. Similar data can be found here: http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Cancer/Publications.
-
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.
-
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 C43.