Myeloma is the 19th most common cancer in the UK, accounting for 2% of all new cancer cases (2016-2018).[1-4]
In females in the UK, myeloma is the 18th most common cancer (1% of all new female cancer cases). In males in the UK, it is the 16th most common cancer (2% of all new male cancer cases).
42% of myeloma cases in the UK are in females, and 58% are in males.
Myeloma incidence rates (European age-standardised ) for persons are significantly lower than the UK average in Wales and similar to the UK average in all other UK constituent countries.
For myeloma, there are few established risk factors therefore differences between countries largely reflect differences in diagnosis and data recording.
Myeloma (C90), 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 | 2,115 | 207 | 113 | 69 | 2,505 |
Crude Rate | 7.5 | 7.4 | 7.1 | 7.3 | 7.5 | |
AS Rate | 7.6 | 7.1 | 6.5 | 7.9 | 7.5 | |
AS Rate - 95% LCL | 7.4 | 6.6 | 5.8 | 6.8 | 7.3 | |
AS Rate - 95% UCL | 7.8 | 7.7 | 7.2 | 9.0 | 7.7 | |
Male | Cases | 2,926 | 270 | 150 | 100 | 3,446 |
Crude Rate | 10.6 | 10.2 | 9.8 | 10.8 | 10.6 | |
AS Rate | 12.4 | 11.5 | 10.1 | 13.6 | 12.2 | |
AS Rate - 95% LCL | 12.1 | 10.7 | 9.1 | 12.1 | 12.0 | |
AS Rate - 95% UCL | 12.6 | 12.3 | 11.0 | 15.1 | 12.4 | |
Persons | Cases | 5,041 | 477 | 264 | 169 | 5,951 |
Crude Rate | 9.1 | 8.8 | 8.4 | 9.0 | 9.0 | |
AS Rate | 9.7 | 9.1 | 8.2 | 10.5 | 9.6 | |
AS Rate - 95% LCL | 9.6 | 8.6 | 7.6 | 9.6 | 9.5 | |
AS Rate - 95% UCL | 9.9 | 9.6 | 8.7 | 11.4 | 9.8 |

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 C90.