Non-melanoma skin cancer mortality statistics

Non-melanoma skin cancer is not among the 20 most common causes of cancer death in the UK, accounting for less than 1% of all cancer deaths (2018-2019).[1-4]

In females in the UK, non-melanoma skin cancer is not among the 20 most common causes of cancer death (less than 1% of all female cancer deaths). In males in the UK, it is the 18th most common cause of cancer death (less than 1% of all male cancer deaths).

34% of non-melanoma skin cancer deaths in the UK are in females, and 66% are in males (2018-2019).

Non-melanoma skin cancer mortality rates (European age-standardised Open a glossary item (AS) rates) in the UK are significantly lower in females than in males (2017-2019).

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

For non-melanoma skin cancer, mortality differences between countries largely reflect differences in incidence.

Due to a coding error in England and Wales 2017 mortality data, the number of NMSC deaths is slightly inflated. The 2017 data has been omitted and a two year average is provided.

Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer (C44), Annual Average Number of Deaths, Crude and European Age-Standardised (AS) Mortality Rates per 100,000 Persons Population, UK, 2018-2019

  England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland UK
Female Deaths 246 33 20 15 314
Crude Rate 0.9 1.2 1.2 1.6 0.9
AS Rate 0.8 1.1 1.0 1.6 0.8
AS Rate - 95% LCL 0.7 0.8 0.7 1.0 0.8
AS Rate - 95% UCL 0.8 1.3 1.3 2.2 0.9
Male Deaths 478 74 29 23 604
Crude Rate 1.7 2.8 1.9 2.5 1.8
AS Rate 2.2 3.7 2.2 3.7 2.3
AS Rate - 95% LCL 2.0 3.1 1.6 2.7 2.2
AS Rate - 95% UCL 2.3 4.2 2.7 4.8 2.5
Persons Deaths 724 108 48 38 918
Crude Rate 1.3 2.0 1.5 2.0 1.4
AS Rate 1.4 2.1 1.5 2.4 1.4
AS Rate - 95% LCL 1.3 1.8 1.2 1.9 1.4
AS Rate - 95% UCL 1.4 2.4 1.8 3.0 1.5
95% LCL and 95% UCL are the 95% lower and upper confidence limits 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. England and Wales data were accessed from Nomis mortality statistics by underlying cause, sex and age, November 2021: Nomis mortality statistics by underlying cause, sex and age.
  2. Scotland data were provided by ISD Scotland on request, November 2021. Similar data can be found here: http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Cancer/Publications/index.asp(link is external).
  3. Northern Ireland data were provided by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry on request, February 2022. Similar data can be found here: http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/nicr/.
  4. Population data were published by the Office for National statistics, accessed July 2020. The data can be found here: Population estimates for the UK, England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, provisional: mid-2019.

About this data

Data is for UK, 2018-2019, C44.

A coding change in the data for England and Wales in 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 resulted in a large increase in rates. These rates have returned to previous levels in 2018 and 2019.

Last reviewed:

Non-melanoma skin cancer mortality is strongly related to age, with the highest mortality rates being in older people. In the UK in 2018-2019, on average each year around three-quarters of deaths (76%) were in people aged 75 and over.[1-4] This largely reflects higher incidence and lower survival for non-melanoma skin cancer in older people.

Age-specific mortality rates rise steadily from around age 50-54 and more steeply from around age 75-79 in males and from age 85-89 in females. The highest rates are in the 90+ age group for both females and males. Mortality rates are significantly lower in females than males in a number of (mainly older) age groups.The gap is widest at age 75 to 79, when the age-specific mortality rate is 3.2 times lower in females than males.

Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer (C44), Average Number of Deaths per Year and Age-Specific Mortality Rates per 100,000 Persons Population, UK, 2018-2019

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. England and Wales data were accessed from Nomis mortality statistics by underlying cause, sex and age, November 2021: Nomis mortality statistics by underlying cause, sex and age.
  2. Scotland data were provided by ISD Scotland on request, November 2021. Similar data can be found here: http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Cancer/Publications/index.asp(link is external).
  3. Northern Ireland data were provided by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry on request, February 2022. Similar data can be found here: http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/nicr/.
  4. Population data were published by the Office for National statistics, accessed July 2020. The data can be found here: Population estimates for the UK, England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, provisional: mid-2019.

About this data

Data is for UK, 2018-2019, ICD-10 C44.

A coding change in the data for England and Wales in 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 resulted in a large increase in rates. These rates have returned to previous levels in 2018 and 2019.

Last reviewed:

Due to a coding error in England and Wales mortality data in 2016 and 2017, the number of NMSC deaths is slightly inflated. The issue was resolved in 2018 and 2019. Therefore we present 2018-2019 data for the most recent timepoint and we do not present data for 2014-2016 to 2016-2018.

Non-melanoma skin cancer European age-standardised (AS) mortality rates for females and males combined decreased by around a tenth in the UK between 1971-1973 and 2018-2019.[1-4] The change varied markedly between sexes.

For females, non-melanoma skin cancer AS mortality rates in the UK decreased by 33% between 1971-1973 and 2018-2019. For males, non-melanoma skin cancer AS mortality rates in the UK remained stable between 1971-1973 and 2018-2019.

Over the last decade in the UK (between 2007-2009 and 2018-2019), non-melanoma skin cancer AS mortality rates for females and males combined increased by 37%. In females AS mortality rates increased by 21%, and in males rates increased by 40%.

Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer (C44), European Age-Standardised Mortality Rates per 100,000 Persons Population, UK, 1971-2019

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 varied between age groups in females and males combined in the UK since the early 1970s.[1-4] Rates in 0-24s have remained stable, in 25-49s have decreased by 47%, in 50-59s have remained stable, in 60-69s have decreased by 37%, in 70-79s have decreased by 30% and in 80+s have remained stable (1971-1973 to 2018-2019)

Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer (C44), European Age-Standardised Mortality Rates per 100,000 Persons Population, By Age, UK, 1971-2019

See also

Non-melanoma skin cancer incidence statistics

Melanoma skin cancer survival statistics

Cancer mortality statistics for common cancers in the UK

References

  1. England and Wales data were accessed from Nomis mortality statistics by underlying cause, sex and age, November 2021: Nomis mortality statistics by underlying cause, sex and age.
  2. Scotland data were provided by ISD Scotland on request, November 2021. Similar data can be found here: http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Cancer/Publications/index.asp(link is external).
  3. Northern Ireland data were provided by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry on request, February 2022. Similar data can be found here: http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/nicr/.
  4. Population data were published by the Office for National statistics, accessed July 2020. The data can be found here: Population estimates for the UK, England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, provisional: mid-2019.

About this data

Data is for UK, 1971-2019, C44. Years 2014-2016 to 2016-2018 have been omitted and 2018-2019 data has been used in place of 2017-2019 data.

A coding error in the data for England and Wales in 2016 and 2017 resulted in a seeming increase in the mortality rate of non-melanoma skin cancer. Deaths due to squamous cell carcinoma with 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 resulted in a large increase in rates.

Cancers in children and young people (aged 0-24) are best classified using a different system to cancers in adults, so the figures presented here may not correspond with those elsewhere.

Last reviewed:

It is projected that the average number of deaths from non-melanoma skin cancer in the UK every year will rise from around 560 deaths in 2023-2025 to around 710 deaths in 2038-2040.[1]

Non-melanoma skin cancer mortality rates are projected to fall by 9% in the UK between 2023-2025 and 2038-2040, to 1 death per 100,000 people on average each year by 2038-2040.[1] This includes a similar decrease for males and females.

For females, non-melanoma skin cancer European age standardised (AS) Open a glossary item mortality rates in the UK are projected to fall by 12% between 2023-2025 and 2038-2040, to less than 1 death per 100,000 per year by 2038-2040.[1] For males, AS rates are projected to fall by 9% between 2023-2025 and 2038-2040, to 1 death per 100,000 per year by 2038-2040.[1]

Non-melanoma skin cancer (C44), Observed and Projected Age-Standardised Mortality Rates, by Sex, UK, 1975-2040

Download the data (xlsx)

See also

Find out how these projections were calculated

Mortality trends over time for non-melanoma skin cancer

Projections of mortality for all cancers combined

Download the projections data table

References

Calculated by the Cancer Intelligence Team at Cancer Research UK, February 2023. Age-period-cohort modelling approach described here, using 2020-based population projections (Office for National Statistics) and observed cancer mortality data (1975-2018).

About this data

Projections are based on mortality data from 1975-2018 (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland); the above figure presents all UK data from 1975-2018 (observed) and 2019-2040 (projected). Number of deaths and age-standardised rates are presented as annual averages for each 3-year rolling period. ICD-10 codes C43.

Projections are based on observed mortality rates and therefore implicitly include changes in cancer risk factors, diagnosis and treatment. Confidence intervals are not calculated for the projected figures. Projections are by their nature uncertain because unexpected events in future could change the trend. It is not sensible to calculate a boundary of uncertainty around these already uncertain point estimates. Changes are described as 'increase' or 'decrease' if there is any difference between the point estimates.

More on projections methodology

Last reviewed:

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Cancer stats explained

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