Myeloma incidence statistics

Myeloma is the 19th most common cancer in the UK, accounting for 2% of all new cancer cases (2016).[1-4]

In females in the UK it is the 18th most common cancer (1% of all new female cancer cases). In males in the UK, myeloma is the 16th most common cancer (2% of all new male cancer cases).

43% of myeloma cases in the UK are in females, and 57% are in males.

Myeloma incidence rates (European age-standardised (AS) rates ) for persons are significantly lower than the UK average in Wales, and similar to the UK average in all other UK constituent countries.

Myeloma (C90), Number of New Cases, Crude and European Age-Standardised (AS) Incidence Rates per 100,000 Population, UK, 2017

95% LCL and 95% UCL are the 95% lower and upper confidence limits  around the AS Rate

For myeloma, there are few established risk factors therefore differences between countries largely reflect differences in diagnosis and data recording.

Myeloma incidence is strongly related to age, with the highest incidence rates being in older people. In the UK in 2014-2016, on average each year more than 4 in 10 (44%) new cases were in people aged 75 and over.[1-4]

Age-specific incidence rates rise steadily from around age 50-54 and more steeply from around age 65-69. The highest rates are in the 85 to 89 age group for females and males.

Incidence rates are significantly lower in females than males in a number of (mainly older) age groups. The gap is widest at age 35 to 39, when the age-specific incidence rate is 2.1 times lower in females than males.

Myeloma (C90), Average Number of New Cases per Year and Age-Specific Incidence Rates per 100,000 Population, UK, 2014-2016

95% LCL and 95% UCL are the 95% lower and upper confidence limits  around the AS Rate

For myeloma, 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.

Myeloma European age-standardised (AS) incidence rates for females and males combined increased by 32% in the UK between 1993-1995 and 2015-2017.[1-4] The increase was larger in males than in females.

For females, myeloma AS incidence rates in the UK increased by 20% between 1993-1995 and 2015-2017. For males, myeloma AS incidence rates in the UK increased by 35% between 1993-1995 and 2015-2017.

Over the last decade in the UK (between 2005-2007 and 2015-2017), myeloma AS incidence rates for females and males combined increased by 15%. In females AS incidence rates increased by 10%, and in males rates increased by 17%.

Myeloma (ICD-10 C90), European Age-Standardised Incidence Rates, UK, 1993-2017

Myeloma incidence rates have increased overall in most broad age groups in females and males combined in the UK since the early 1990s, but remained stable in some.[1-4] Rates in 0-24s have remained stable, in 25-49s have increased by 51%, in 50-59s have increased by 34%, in 60-69s have increased by 26%, in 70-79s have increased by 31%, and in 80+s have increased by 35%.

Myeloma (ICD-10 C90), European Age-Standardised Incidence Rates, By Age, UK, 1993-2017

For myeloma, 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.

Myeloma incidence rates are projected to rise by 11% in the UK between 2014 and 2035, to 12 cases per 100,000 people by 2035.[1] This includes a larger increase for males than for females.

For males, myeloma European age-standardised (AS) incidence rates in the UK are projected to rise by 13% between 2014 and 2035, to 16 cases per 100,000 by 2035.[1] For females, rates are projected to rise by 7% between 2014 and 2035, to 10 cases per 100,000 by 2035.[1]

Myeloma (C90), Observed and Projected Age-Standardised Incidence Rates, by Sex, UK, 1979-2035

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It is projected that 8,888 cases of myeloma (5,229 in males, 3,659 in females) will be diagnosed in the UK in 2035.

Myeloma incidence rates (European age-standardised (AS) rates ) in England in females are similar in the most deprived quintile compared with the least, and in males are similar in the most deprived quintile compared with the least (2013-2017).[1]

Age-standardised rates for White males with myeloma (ICD-10 C88-C90) range from 6.1 to 6.5 per 100,000. Rates for Asian males are similar, ranging from 3.6 to 6.4 per 100,000, whereas the rates for Black males are significantly higher, ranging from 10.9 to 18.2 per 100,000. For females there is a similar pattern - the age-standardised rates for White females range from 3.9 to 4.2 per 100,000. Rates for Asian females are similar, ranging from 2.3 to 4.4 per 100,000, whereas the rates for Black females are significantly higher, ranging from 6.6 to 11.5 per 100,000.[1]

Ranges are given because of the analysis methodology used to account for missing and unknown data. For myeloma, 17,357 cases were identified; 18% had no known ethnicity.

A similar ethnic pattern has been observed in the UK for almost 40 years, with myeloma occurring around twice as frequently in African Americans as Caucasians.[2] It appears that, in comparison with white people, black people have younger myeloma onset,[3] and a higher incidence of MGUS (though no difference in progression risk).[4,5] However, the reasons underpinning these ethnic differences have yet to be explained, and are currently the subject of much research.[4,6]

An estimated 17,600 people who had been diagnosed with myeloma between 1991 and 2010 were alive in the UK at the end of 2010.[1]