Non-melanoma skin cancer mortality statistics

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Deaths

Deaths from non-melanoma skin cancer, 2015-2017, UK

 

Proportion of all deaths

Percentage non-melanoma skin cancer contributes to total cancer deaths, 2015-2017, UK

 

Age

Peak mortality rate for non-melanoma skin cancer, 2015-2017, UK

Trend over time

Change in non-melanoma skin cancer mortality rates since the early 1970s, UK

 

There was a coding issue with non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) mortality data in 2016 and 2017, which makes the UK data for NMSC deaths in those years unreliable. The issue is expected to be resolved in the 2018 data. To avoid misinterpretation, 2013-2015 data will be reported here until reliable data are available again in 2018-2020.

Non-melanoma skin cancer accounts for less than 1% of all cancer deaths in the UK (2015).[1-3]

In males in the UK, non-melanoma skin cancer accounts for less than 1% of all cancer deaths). In females in the UK it accounts for less than 1% of all cancer deaths).

66% of non-melanoma skin cancer deaths in the UK are in males, and 34% are in females.

Non-melanoma skin cancer mortality rates (European age-standardised (AS) rates) Open a glossary item for persons are significantly higher than the UK average in Northern Ireland and Scotland and similar to the UK average in all other UK constituent countries.

Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer (C44), Number of Deaths, Crude and European Age-Standardised (AS) Mortality Rates per 100,000 Population, UK, 2015

  England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland UK
Female Deaths 199 25 17 8 249
Crude Rate 0.7 0.9 1.1 0.8 0.8
AS Rate 0.7 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.7
AS Rate - 95% LCL 0.6 0.5 0.5 0.3 0.6
AS Rate - 95% UCL 0.8 1.2 1.3 1.5 0.8
Male Deaths 381 57 21 26 485
Crude Rate 1.4 2.2 1.4 2.9 1.5
AS Rate 1.8 2.8 1.8 4.7 2.0
AS Rate - 95% LCL 1.7 2.1 1.0 2.9 1.8
AS Rate - 95% UCL 2.0 3.6 2.5 6.6 2.2
Persons Deaths 580 82 38 34 734
Crude Rate 1.1 1.5 1.2 1.8 1.1
AS Rate 1.2 1.7 1.2 2.3 1.2
AS Rate - 95% LCL 1.1 1.3 0.8 1.6 1.1
AS Rate - 95% UCL 1.2 2.0 1.6 3.1 1.3

95% LCL and 95% UCL are the 95% lower and upper confidence limits Open a glossary item around the AS Rate Open a glossary item

See also

Non-melanoma skin cancer incidence statistics

Melanoma skin cancer survival statistics

Cancer mortality statistics for common cancers in the UK

References

  1. Data were provided by the Office for National Statistics on request, October 2016. Similar data can be found here: http://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths.
  2. Data were provided by ISD Scotland on request, October 2016. Similar data can be found here: http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Cancer/Publications/index.asp.
  3. Data were provided by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry on request, July 2017. Similar data can be found here: http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/nicr/.

About this data

Data is for UK, 2015, ICD-10 C44.

A coding change in the data for 2016 and 2017 resulted in a seeming increase in the mortality rate of non-melanoma skin cancer. Deaths due to squamous cell cancer, that had previously been coded as being from an unknown body site (C80), were assigned to non-melanoma skin cancer (C44). Because deaths from non-melanoma skin cancer are rare a relatively small increase in the numbers has resulted in a large increase in rates. The rate stabilised in 2017 and returned to previous levels in 2018.

Last reviewed:

There was a coding issue with non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) mortality data in 2016 and 2017, which makes the UK data for NMSC deaths in those years unreliable. The issue is resolved in the 2018 data. To avoid misinterpretation, 2013-15 data will be reported here until reliable data are available again for 2018-20.

Non-melanoma skin cancer mortality is strongly related to age, with the highest mortality rates being in older people. In the UK in 2013-2015, on average each year almost three-quarters (73%) of deaths were in people aged 75 and over.[1-3]

Age-specific mortality rates rise steadily from around age 50-54 and more steeply from around age 75-79 in males and from age 80-84 in females. The highest rates are in the 90+ age group for males and females.

Mortality rates are significantly higher in males than females in a number of (mainly older) age groups. The gap is widest at age 80 to 84, when the age-specific mortality rate is 3.7 times higher in males than females.

Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer (C44), Average Number of Deaths per Year and Age-Specific Mortality Rates, UK, 2013-2015

For most cancer types, mortality by age largely reflects incidence and survival by age, e.g. typically, higher incidence and lower survival in older people results in higher mortality in older people.

See also

Find out more about the counting and coding of this data

Non-melanoma skin cancer incidence statistics by age

Non-melanoma skin cancer survival statistics by age

Cancer mortality statistics by age for all cancers

References

  1. Data were provided by the Office for National Statistics on request, October 2016. Similar data can be found here: http://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths.
  2. Data were provided by ISD Scotland on request, October 2016. Similar data can be found here: http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Cancer/Publications/index.asp.
  3. Data were provided by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry on request, July 2017. Similar data can be found here: http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/nicr/.

About this data

Data is for UK, 2013-2015, ICD-10 C44.

A coding change in the data for 2016 and 2017 resulted in a seeming increase in the mortality rate of non-melanoma skin cancer. Deaths due to squamous cell cancer, that had previously been coded as being from an unknown body site (C80), were assigned to non-melanoma skin cancer (C44). Because deaths from non-melanoma skin cancer are rare a relatively small increase in the numbers has resulted in a large increase in rates. The rate has stabilised in 2017 and is expected to return to previous levels in 2018.

Last reviewed:

There was a coding issue with non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) mortality data in 2016 and 2017, which makes the UK data for NMSC deaths in those years unreliable. The issue is expected to be resolved in 2018. To avoid misinterpretation, trends data will be reported here up to 2013-15, until reliable data are available again in 2018-20.

Non-melanoma skin cancer European age-standardised (AS) Open a glossary item mortality rates for females and males combined decreased by 24% in the UK between 1971-1973 and 2013-2015.[1-3] The decrease was larger in females than in males.

For females, non-melanoma skin cancer AS mortality rates in the UK decreased by 39% between 1971-1973 and 2013-2015. For males, non-melanoma skin cancer AS mortality rates in the UK decreased by 20% between 1971-1973 and 2013-2015.

Over the last decade in the UK (between 2003-2005 and 2013-2015), non-melanoma skin cancer AS mortality rates for females and males combined increased by 13%. In females AS mortality rates remained stable, and in males rates remained stable.

Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer (C44), European Age-Standardised Mortality Rates per 100,000 Population, UK, 1971-2015

For most cancer types, mortality trends largely reflect incidence and survival trends. For example, rising mortality may reflect rising incidence and stable survival, while falling mortality may reflect rising incidence and rising survival.

Non-melanoma skin cancer mortality rates have decreased overall in some broad age groups in females and males combined in the UK since the early 1970s, but have remained stable in others.[1-3] Rates in 0-24s have remained stable, in 25-49s have decreased by 48%, in 50-59s have remained stable, in 60-69s have decreased by 41%, in 70-79s have decreased by 33%, and in 80+s have decreased by 13%.

Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer (C44), European Age-Standardised Mortality Rates per 100,000 Population, By Age, UK, 1971-2015

See also

Non-melanoma skin cancer incidence statistics

Melanoma skin cancer survival statistics

Cancer mortality statistics for common cancers in the UK

References

  1. Data were provided by the Office for National Statistics on request, November 2018. Similar data can be found here: http://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths.
  2. Data were provided by ISD Scotland on request, October 2018. Similar data can be found here: http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Cancer/Publications/index.asp.
  3. Data were provided by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry on request, March 2019. Similar data can be found here: http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/nicr/.

About this data

Data is for UK, 1971-2015, C44.

A coding change in the data for 2016 and 2017 resulted in a seeming increase in the mortality rate of non-melanoma skin cancer. Deaths due to squamous cell cancer, previously coded as being from an unknown body site (C80), were assigned to non-melanoma skin cancer (C44). Because deaths from non-melanoma skin cancer are rare a relatively small increase in the numbers has resulted in a large increase in rates. These rates have stabilised in 2017 and are expected to return to previous levels in 2018.

Last reviewed:

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Acknowledgements

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