Cancer incidence for common cancers

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK, accounting for around 3 in 20 (15%) of all cases in females and males combined (2017-2019.[1-4] The next most common cancers in UK people are prostate (14%), lung (13%), and bowel (11%). Though there are hundreds of cancer types, just these four types - breast, prostate, lung and bowel - together account for more than half (53%) of all new cases in the UK (2017-2019). [1-4] The two most common cancer types occur mainly or exclusively in only one gender.

The 20 Most Common Cancers, UK, 2017-2019

This chart excludes non-melanoma skin cancer because of known under-reporting. Data in this chart do not sum to the all cancers combined total provided elsewhere, because 'brain, other CNS (central nervous system) and intracranial' includes tumours that are malignant and non-malignant but only the malignant tumours are included in 'all cancers combined' total.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in UK males, accounting for more than a quarter (28%) of male cases (2017-2019. [1-4] The next most common cancers in UK males are lung cancer (13%) and bowel cancer (12%). Prostate, lung and bowel cancers together account for more than half (53%) of all new cases in males in the UK. One of the ten most common cancers in males is sex-specific (prostate), compared with two of the ten most common cancers in females (uterus and ovary). Head and neck, bladder, oesophageal cancers and leukaemia, are among the UK ten most common cancers in males, but not in females.

The Three Most Common Cancers in Males, Percentages of All Cancer Cases Excluding Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer (C00-C97 excl. C44), UK, 2017-2019

This chart excludes non-melanoma skin cancer because of known under-reporting.

The Ten Most Common Cancers in Males, Annual Average Numbers of New Cases, UK, 2017-2019

This chart excludes non-melanoma skin cancer because of known under-reporting.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in UK females, accounting for almost a third (30%) of all female cases (2017-2019).[1-4] The next most common cancers in UK females are lung cancer (13%) and bowel cancer (11%). Breast, lung and bowel cancers together account for over half (54%) of all new cases in females in the UK. Two of the ten most common cancers in females are sex-specific (uterus and ovary), compared with one of the ten most common cancers in males (prostate). Breast, brain, other CNS and intracranial tumours and pancreatic cancer are among the ten most common cancers in females, but not in males.

The Three Most Common Cancers in Females, Percentages of All Cancer Cases Excluding Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer (C00-C97 excl. C44), UK, 2017-2019

This chart excludes non-melanoma skin cancer because of known under-reporting.

The Ten Most Common Cancers in Females, Annual Average Numbers of New Cases, UK, 2017-2019

This chart excludes non-melanoma skin cancer because of known under-reporting. 

Incidence trends over the last decade in the UK vary by cancer type and gender.[1-4] For 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.

Thyroid cancer has shown the fastest increase in incidence over the past decade in the UK in females (61%) and males (64%), followed by liver cancer (36% in females and 44% in males), within the current 20 most common UK cancers in females and males. In females, melanoma skin cancer, kidney cancer, and head and neck cancers have shown the next-fastest increases in incidence. In males, melanoma skin cancer, kidney cancer, and Hodgkin lymphoma have shown the next-fastest increases in incidence.

Cancer of unknown primary has shown the fastest decrease in incidence over the past decade in the UK in females (35%) and males (34%), followed by stomach cancer (26% in females and 32% in males), within the current 20 most common UK cancers in females and males.

For lung, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, oesophageal cancers, and all cancers excluding non-melanoma cancer, the incidence trend differs between the genders. In females, lung cancer incidence has increased, while in males it has decreased. In females, all cancer excluding non-melanoma skin cancer incidence has increased, while in males it has remained stable. In females, non-Hodgkin lymphoma and oesophageal cancer incidence has decreased, while in males it has remained stable.

The 20 Most Common Cancers 2019, Percentage Change in European Age-Standardised Three Year Average Incidence Rates, Females, UK, 2007-2009 and 2017-2019

The 20 Most Common Cancers 2019, Percentage Change in European Age-Standardised Three Year Average Incidence Rates, Males, UK, 2007-2009 and 2017-2019

Incidence rates are projected to rise for most types of cancer in the UK between 2023-2025 and 2038-2040.[1] Among cancer types where rates are projected to rise, the size of the overall increase between 2023-2025 and 2038-2040 ranges from less than 1% (breast cancer) to 50% (eye cancer).

For a smaller number of cancer types, incidence rates are projected to fall in the UK between 2023-2025 and 2038-2040. Among cancer types where rates are projected to fall, the size of the overall decrease between 2023-2025 and 2038-2040 ranges from 2% (lung cancer) to 27% (mesothelioma).

For almost all cancer types – even those where age-standardised incidence rates are projected to fall – absolute numbers of cases are projected to rise because of population growth and ageing.

These projections reflect past trends in cancer incidence. They do not model the possible impact of current or future changes which may increase or decrease cancer incidence. For cervical cancer and other HPV-related cancers (pharyngeal, anal, vulval, penile, vaginal and oral cavity), HPV vaccination is expected to substantially decrease future incidence.[2,3]

Selected Cancers, European Age-Standardised Incidence Rates and Average Annual Number of New Cases, Females, UK, 2023-2025 and 2038-2040

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Selected Cancers, European Age-Standardised Incidence Rates and Average Annual Number of New Cases, Males, UK, 2023-2025 and 2038-2040

Download the data table (xlsx)

Thyroid cancer has the fastest-increasing projected incidence rates in females, rising by more than 15% between 2023-2025 and 2038-2040. Small intestine cancer has the fastest-increasing projected incidence rates in males, rising by more than 37% between 2023-2025 and 2038-2040.

The Five Cancers with the Highest Projected Percentage Change in European Age-Standardised Incidence Rates, Females, UK, 2023-2025 to 2038-2040

common-cancer-inc-chart-female-small.png

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The Five Cancers with the Highest Projected Percentage Change in European Age-Standardised Incidence Rates, Males, UK, 2023-2025 to 2038-2040

common-cancer-inc-chart-male-small.png

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Cancer incidence rates (European age-standardised (AS) rates ) in England are higher in the most deprived quintile compared with the least, for most cancer types (2013-2017).[1] The deprivation gap in cancer incidence is generally largest for smoking-related cancer types, reflecting longstanding higher smoking prevalence in more deprived groups.[2]

For a small group of cancer types, incidence rates are higher in the least deprived quintile compared with the most. This reflects higher exposure to some risk factors in less deprived groups: more sun exposure (related to melanoma skin cancer);[3] later first pregnancy, lower parity and higher postmenopausal hormone use (related to female breast cancer).[4] It also reflects higher uptake of breast screening and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing in less deprived groups.[5,6]

Percentage Difference in European Age-Standardised Incidence Rates per 100,000 Population Between Most and Least Deprived Quintiles, Females, England, 2013-2017

This chart includes only cancer types with a statistically significant difference in age-standardised rates between most and least deprived quintiles.

Percentage Difference in European Age-Standardised Incidence Rates per 100,000 Population Between Most and Least Deprived Quintiles, Males, England, 2013-2017

It is estimated that each year in England there are around 27,200 more cases of cancer types where incidence rates are higher in more deprived quintiles, than there would be if incidence rates in all deprivation quintiles matched those of the least deprived quintile. The corresponding figure for the UK – based on the England figures above, plus devolved nations data – is around 33,800.[1,7-9] Lung cancer is by far the largest contributor to these excess cases, reflecting the high incidence of this cancer type overall, and the large difference in lung cancer incidence between the most and least deprived quintiles.

The number of excess cases is partly offset by those cancer types where incidence rates are lower in more deprived quintiles: for those cancer types it is estimated that each year in England there are around 10,700 fewer cases than there would be if incidence rates in all deprivation quintiles matched those of the least deprived quintile. The corresponding figure for the UK is around 11,900.[1,7-9] The cancer types contributing most of this total are melanoma skin cancer, prostate cancer, and female breast cancer.

These figures are calculated as the sum of cases observed, minus the sum of cases expected if every deprivation quintile had the same age-specific crude incidence rates (age-specific crude rates for England, age-standardised rates all ages combined for Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland) as the least deprived quintile. Only cancer types with a statistically significant difference in age-standardised rates between most and least deprived quintiles are included in these figures.

The European age-standardised incidence rates differ significantly between UK constituent countries for several cancer types. Such differences are often due to variation in data recording (e.g. definitions of recordable tumour types), risk factor prevalence (e.g. cigarette smoking rates), or diagnostic activity (e.g. screening uptake rates). Between-country variation is discussed on the types of cancer pages.

The four most common cancers are the same in all the UK constituent countries – breast, prostate, lung, and bowel cancers.[1-4] The order of these four varies between countries. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in all the UK countries except Scotland, where lung cancer is most common.