Vulval cancer statistics

• There are around 1,400 new vulval cancer cases in the UK every year, that's around 4 every day (2017-2019).
• Vulval cancer is not among the 20 most common cancers in the UK, accounting for less than 1% of all new cancer cases (2017-2019).
• In females in the UK, vulval cancer is not among the 20 most common cancers, with around 1,400 new cases every year. That's 1% of all new female cancer cases in the UK (2017-2019).
• Incidence rates for vulval cancer in the UK are highest in females aged 90+ (2017-2019).
• Each year more than two-fifths (42%) of all new vulval cancer cases in the UK are diagnosed in people aged 75 and over (2017-2019).
• Since the early 1990s, vulval cancer incidence rates in females have increased by around a fifth (19%) in the UK (2017-2019).
• Over the last decade, vulval cancer incidence rates in females have remained stable in the UK (2017-2019).
• Vulval cancer incidence rates are projected to rise by 5% in the UK between 2023-2025 and 2038-2040.
• There could be around 2,000 new cases of vulval cancer every year in the UK by 2038-2040, projections suggest.
• Vulval cancer incidence rates in England in females are 74% higher in the most deprived quintile compared with the least (2013-2017).
• Around 250 cases of vulval cancer each year in England are linked with deprivation.
• An estimated 8,400 women who had previously been diagnosed with vulval cancer were alive in the UK at the end of 2010.

See more in-depth vulval cancer incidence statistics

• There are around 510 vulval cancer deaths in the UK every year, that's more than 1 every day (2021-2023).
• Vulval cancer is not among the 20 most common causes of cancer death in the UK, accounting for less than 1% of all cancer deaths (2021-2023).
• In females in the UK, vulval cancer is not among the 20 most common causes of cancer death, with around 510 deaths every year. That's 1% of all female cancer deaths in the UK (2021-2023).
• Mortality rates for vulval cancer in the UK are highest in females aged 90+ (2021-2023).
• Each year two-thirds (66%) of vulval cancer deaths in the UK are in people aged 75 and over (2021-2023).
• Since the early 1970s, vulval cancer mortality rates in females have decreased by more than a third (35%) in the UK (2021-2023).
• Over the last decade, vulval cancer mortality rates in females have remained stable in the UK (2021-2023).
• Vulval cancer incidence rates are projected to rise by 5% in the UK between 2023-2025 and 2038-2040.
• There could be around 2,000 new cases of vulval cancer every year in the UK by 2038-2040, projections suggest.
• Vulval cancer incidence rates in England in females are 74% higher in the most deprived quintile compared with the least (2013-2017).
• Around 250 cases of vulval cancer each year in England are linked with deprivation.
• An estimated 8,400 women who had previously been diagnosed with vulval cancer were alive in the UK at the end of 2010.

See more in-depth vulval cancer mortality statistics

• Almost 6 in 10 (57.9%) women diagnosed with vulval cancer in England survive their disease for ten years or more, it is predicted (2013-2017).
• Almost 9 in 10 (87.8%) women in England diagnosed with vulval cancer between ages 15-44 survive their disease for five years or more, compared with almost half (48.4%) of women diagnosed aged 75-99 (2016-2020).
• Almost 8 in 10 (77.7%) women in England diagnosed with vulval cancer in the least deprived group survive their disease for five years or more, compared with two-thirds (65.7%) of women in the most deprived group (2015-2019).
• Five-year relative survival for vaginal and vulval cancer in women is above the European average in England but similar to the European average in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Further details on cancer survival in Europe can be found on the EUROCARE website.
• For vulval cancer, like other cancer sites, survival trends reflect a combination of changes in treatment and stage distribution. These factors themselves can vary by age, sex and deprivation.
• Further survival statistics by stage can be found on the Early Diagnosis Data Hub and information on treatments for cancer can be found here.
• Further one-, five- and ten-year survival statistics can be found on the Cancer Statistics Dashboard.

• A person’s risk of developing cancer depends on many factors, including age, genetics, and exposure to risk factors (including some potentially avoidable lifestyle factors).
• 1 in 230 UK females will be diagnosed with vulval cancer in their lifetime (born in 1961).
• 69% of vulval cancer cases in the UK are preventable.

See more in-depth vulval cancer risk statistics