In 2010, there were 3,272 new cases of STS (all subtypes combined) in the UK: 1,660 (51%) in males and 1,612 (49%) in females.[1] The shows that there are 54 new STS cases for every million males in the UK, and 51 for every million females.[1] Males in the UK have a similar risk of developing STS compared with females; the male:female incidence ratio of European
, which account for differing male and female age distribution and population sizes, is 11:10.
The European age-standardised incidence rates (AS rates) do not differ significantly between the constituent countries of the UK.[1]
Soft Tissue Sarcoma (All Subtypes Combined), Number of New Cases, Crude and European Age-Standardised (AS) Incidence Rates per Million Population, UK, 2010
England
Wales
Scotland
Northern Ireland
UK
Males
Cases
1,408
97
120
35
1,660
Crude Rate
54.7
65.9
47.4
39.6
54.2
AS Rate
47.8
53.8
41.2
37.6
47.3
AS Rate - 95% LCL
45.3
43.2
34.1
26.1
45.0
AS Rate - 95% UCL
50.5
66.5
49.7
52.6
49.7
Females
Cases
1,332
104
129
47
1,612
Crude Rate
50.3
67.7
47.9
51.4
51.0
AS Rate
41.9
53.0
38.2
47.5
42.3
AS Rate - 95% LCL
39.6
42.6
31.6
34.6
40.1
AS Rate - 95% UCL
44.4
65.6
46.0
64.1
44.5
Persons
Cases
2,740
201
249
82
3,272
Crude Rate
52.5
66.9
47.7
45.6
52.6
AS Rate
44.9
53.4
39.7
42.5
44.8
AS Rate - 95% LCL
43.2
46.0
34.8
33.9
43.2
AS Rate - 95% UCL
46.7
62.4
45.5
53.7
46.4
95% LCL and 95% UCL are the 95% lower and upper around the
A fifth of all STS cases diagnosed in the UK are not otherwise specified (NOS, 20%) – cases where the pathologist reporting the case, or the cancer registry recording the tumour, did not enter a specific morphological soft tissue sarcoma sub-type.[1] Almost a fifth of cases (18%) are leiomyosarcoma, while fibroblastic sarcoma and liposarcoma account for 14% and 13% respectively. The remaining 34% of STS cases is comprised of eight other morphological groups, including one group which is itself comprised of 42 morphologies which cannot be assigned to a larger sub-group (rare soft tissue sarcoma variants).
range from 0.0 (malignant phyllodes tumour – tumours of breast tissue which are extremely rare in men) to 11 (sarcoma NOS) cases for every million males in the UK, and from 1 (soft tissue Ewing sarcoma, nerve sheath tumour, Kaposi sarcoma, synovial sarcoma) to 11 (leiomyosarcoma) cases for every million females.[1]
European are significantly higher in males than females for five of the 12 STS subtypes (liposarcoma, fibroblastic sarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, Kaposi sarcoma, sarcoma NOS). In a further five subtypes (soft tissue Ewing sarcoma, synovial sarcoma, vascular sarcoma, nerve sheath tumours, rare soft tissue sarcoma variants) rates do not differ significantly between the sexes. Rates are significantly higher in females than males for leiomyosarcoma and malignant phyllodes tumour only.[1]
Soft Tissue Sarcoma Subtypes, Number of New Cases and European Age-Standardised (AS) Incidence Rates per Million Population, UK, 2008-2010
Male | Female | Persons | |||||
Cases | AS Rate (95% LCL- 95% UCL) | Cases | AS Rate (95% LCL- 95% UCL) | Cases | AS Rate (95% LCL- 95% UCL) | ||
Leiomyosarcoma | 248 | 6.8 (6.3 - 7.3) | 355 | 9.5 (8.9 - 10.1) | 603 | 8.1 (7.8 - 8.5) | |
Liposarcoma | 275 | 7.9 (7.4 - 8.5) | 163 | 4.4 (4.0 - 4.8) | 438 | 6.2 (5.8 - 6.5) | |
Fibroblastic sarcoma | 245 | 7.1 (6.6 - 7.6) | 214 | 5.9 (5.4 - 6.4) | 459 | 6.5 (6.1 - 6.8) | |
Rhabdomyosarcoma | 72 | 2.5 (2.2 - 2.9) | 49 | 1.7 (1.4 - 2.0) | 121 | 2.1 (1.9 - 2.3) | |
Soft tissue Ewing sarcoma | 19 | 0.7 (0.5 - 0.9) | 21 | 0.7 (0.5 - 0.9) | 40 | 0.7 (0.6 - 0.8) | |
Synovial sarcoma | 39 | 1.3 (1.0 - 1.5) | 42 | 1.3 (1.1 - 1.6) | 81 | 1.3 (1.1 - 1.5) | |
Vascular sarcoma | 60 | 1.6 (1.3 - 1.8) | 86 | 2.0 (1.8 - 2.3) | 146 | 1.8 (1.6 - 2.0) | |
Karposi sarcoma | 125 | 3.9 (3.6 - 4.4) | 27 | 0.8 (0.6 - 1.0) | 152 | 2.4 (2.2 - 2.6) | |
Nerve sheath tumour | 43 | 1.3 (1.1 - 1.6) | 36 | 1.0 (0.9 - 1.3) | 80 | 1.2 (1.0 - 1.3) | |
Malignant phyllodes tumour | 0 | 0.0 (0.0 - 0.1) | 62 | 1.7 (1.5 - 2.0) | 62 | 0.9 (0.7 - 1.0) | |
Rare soft tissue sarcoma variants | 189 | 5.4 (5.0 - 5.9) | 232 | 6.1 (5.6 - 6.6) | 421 | 5.8 (5.4 - 6.1) | |
Sarcoma NOS | 339 | 9.2 (8.6 - 9.8) | 322 | 7.7 (7.2 - 8.2) | 661 | 8.5 (8.1 - 8.9) |
95% LCL and 95% UCL are the 95% lower and upper around the
About this data
Data is for: UK, 2008-2010. See source for ICD codes and other data specifics.