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BRIEFING PAPER Number SN06887, 6 December 2016

Cancer Statistics: In Brief By Carl Baker

Inside:

Cancer diagnoses Cancer and age Deaths from cancer Survival rates Waiting times Screening

Number SN06887, 6 December 2016 2

Cancer diagnoses 296,000 people were diagnosed with cancer in England in 2014. This amounts to an age-standardised incidence rate of 670 cases per 100,000 people for men and 546 per 100,000 for women. These rates are 3.4% and 16.2% higher respectively than the incidence rates from 1995.1

Since 1995 the gender gap between male and female diagnosis rates has narrowed from 38% to 23%.

The most common cancers among men are prostate (28% of all cancers in men), lung (14%) and colorectal (13%). Among women, the most common are breast (34%), lung (13%) and colorectal (11%). For both genders, the most common three cancers account for more than half of all cancers.

After accounting for differences in the age of the population, rates are highest in the North East of England and lowest in London & the East of England.

There are relatively few cancer types where age-standardised rates differ significantly between UK constituent countries.2

1 ONS Cancer Registrations 2014 2 Read more at http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-

statistics/incidence/common-cancers-compared#m1y5QrVz3FihOIdB.99

Cancer diagnoses and deaths from cancer, 1995 to 2014, UK

Age-standardised rate per 100,000 population

1995

1995

1995

1995

2005

2005

2005

2005

2014

2014

2014

2014

0

200

400

600

800

Male diagnoses Female diagnoses Male deaths Female deaths

Most common cancers, by gender (percent of all diagnoses, 2014)

Men Women TotalProstate 28% Breast 34% Breast 17%Lung 14% Lung 13% Prostate 14%Colorectal 13% Colorectal 11% Lung 14%Skin 5% Uterus 6% Colorectal 12%Non-Hodgkins lymphoma 5% Skin 5% Skin 5%Bladder 4% Ovary 5% Non-Hodgkins lymphoma 4%Kidney 4% Non-Hodgkins lymphoma 4% Kidney 3%Oesophagus 3% Pancreas 3% Bladder 3%

http://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/bulletins/cancerregistrationstatisticsengland/previousReleaseshttp://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/incidence/common-cancers-compared#m1y5QrVz3FihOIdB.99http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/incidence/common-cancers-compared#m1y5QrVz3FihOIdB.99

3 Cancer Statistics: In Brief

Cancer and age Cancer is most common among older people. Two thirds of diagnoses are for those aged 65 or over, and 23% are for those aged 80 and over. Just 11% of cancer diagnoses are for people aged 49 or below.3

The cancer diagnosis rate among men aged 75-79 is around 34 times higher than in men aged 35-39. For women aged 75-79 the rate is 11 times higher than in ages 35-39.

There is some age variation between different types of cancer. Over 80% of bladder cancers and oesophageal cancers are diagnosed in those aged 65+. 78% of lung cancer cases are in those aged 65+.By contrast, two thirds of breast cancers are diagnosed in women aged under 65. 57% of cancers of the lip, oral cavity or pharynx among men are diagnosed in under-65s. 85% of cervical carcinomas are diagnosed in women aged under 40 (the figure is 43% for cervical cancers).

3 ONS Cancer Registration Statistics 2014

Cancer diagnosesby age, 2014, UK

Age-standardised rate per 100,000 population

Cumulative percentage of cases in each age category

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49 50-54 55-59 60-64 65-69 70-74 75-79 80-84 85-89 90+

Males Females

30-49, 9% Age 50-64, 24% Age 65-79, 42% Age 80+, 23%

http://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/bulletins/cancerregistrationstatisticsengland/previousReleases

Number SN06887, 6 December 2016 4

Deaths from cancer Between 1995 and 2014, cancer mortality rates have fallen by 22% for men and 15% for women.4 Male mortality is higher than female mortality, but

Male mortality is higher than female mortality, but the gap has fallen over the past 19 years from 59% to 46%. The chart to the right shows trends.

Four-fifths of those who died from cancer in England and Wales in 2015 were aged 65 or over.

Cancer is the cause of over a quarter of deaths. Among women aged 55-64, it is the cause of more than half of deaths. The chart below shows data for all ages for both men and women.

Of 147,000 cancer deaths in England and Wales in 2015, around 30,000 were due to lung cancer. 14,000 were due to colorectal cancer, over 10,000 were due to prostate cancer, and around 10,000 were due to breast cancer.

4 ONS, Deaths Registered in England and Wales, 2014

Deaths from cancer as a % of all deaths, 2015, England & Wales

0%

25%

50%

All ages

5 Cancer Statistics: In Brief

Survival rates Five-year cancer survival rates have increased substantially over recent decades. In the early 70s, only around 30% of those diagnosed with cancer could expect to survive for 5 years. In 2010-11, it was estimated that 54% would survive for 5 years. 5 It is estimated that half of those diagnosed with cancer will survive for 10 years.6

Survival rates vary substantially between different types of cancer. 39 in every 40 people diagnosed with skin or testicular cancer survive for at least one year. By contrast, only 1 in 5 people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer survive for a year, and only 1 in 20 survive for five years. For lung cancer, 34% of men and 40% of women survive for one year, and 11% of men and 16% of women survive for five years.7

5 ONS, 40 years of cancer 6 Cancer Research 7 ONS Cancer Survival

Cancer mortality rate among under 75sAge-standardised rate per 100,000 population, 2013-2015, county & UA

Manchester 195 Barnet 106Knowsley 191 Westminster 107Blackpool 191 Harrow 109Kingston upon Hull 190 Rutland 109Liverpool 186 Kensington and Chelsea 111Salford 185 Redbridge 112Hartlepool 183 Buckinghamshire 113Stoke-on-Trent 178 Bromley 117Halton 177 Oxfordshire 117Oldham 174 Wokingham 117Middlesbrough 174 Dorset 117Doncaster 173 Richmond upon Thames 118

Highest Rates Lowest Rates

Cancer five-year survival rates, 1971-2011All cancers, England

0%

20%

40%

60%

1971-72 1980-81 1990-91 2000-01 2005-06 2010-11

All Male Female

http://visual.ons.gov.uk/40-years-of-cancer/http://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/bulletins/cancersurvivalinenglandadultsdiagnosed/previousReleases

Number SN06887, 6 December 2016 6

The table below shows one-year and five-year survival for selected cancer sites.

Waiting Times There are a number of waiting times standards relating to cancer diagnosis and treatment, including:8

• After a GP urgently refers a patient with suspected cancer, the patient should see a consultant within two weeks. The target is 93%, and this is currently being met.

• After a decision to treat for cancer has been made, the first treatment should take place within 31 days. The target is 96%, and this is currently being met.

• Overall, a patient should wait no more than 62 days between an

urgent GP referral with suspected cancer, and their first treatment for cancer. The target is 85%, and this has not been met for over two years.

8 NHS England, Cancer Waiting Times

Cancer survival rates, one-year and five-year, EnglandAge standardised; 2010-2014 registrations followed up to 2015

Cancer site Men Women Cancer site Men WomenTestis 98% - Testis 97% -Skin 97% 98% Skin 87% 93%Breast - 96% Breast - 86%Prostate 94% - Prostate 84% -Uterus - 91% Uterus - 78%Cervix - 85% Cervix - 67%Non-Hodgkin lymphoma 79% 82% Non-Hodgkin lymphoma 66% 71%Kidney 77% 78% Kidney 59% 63%Colorectum 78% 76% Colorectum 58% 58%Ovary - 77% Ovary - 50%Bladder 78% 67% Bladder 57% 48%Leukaemia 70% 67% Leukaemia 51% 50%Mesothelioma 46% 51% Mesothelioma 6% 10%Brain 46% 47% Brain 18% 22%Stomach 45% 44% Stomach 18% 21%Oesophagus 44% 44% Oesophagus 14% 18%Lung 34% 40% Lung 11% 16%Liver 36% 33% Liver 13% 11%Pancreas 21% 23% Pancreas 5% 6%

ONE YEAR FIVE YEAR

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/cancer-waiting-times/

7 Cancer Statistics: In Brief

Screening • As of March 2016, 72.7% of women aged 25-64 were recorded

as having been adequately screened for cervical cancer. This has fallen from 75.7% in 2011. In 2015/16, 3.09 million women were tested on the cervical screening programme.9

• As of March 2015, 75.4% of women aged 53-70 had been screened for breast cancer in the last three years. This has fallen from 77.2% in 2011, but remains above the NHS Cancer Screening Programmes’ minimum standard of 70%.10

9 NHS Digital, Cervical Screening Programme 10 NHS Digital, Breast Screening Programme

http://www.content.digital.nhs.uk/catalogue/PUB22414http://content.digital.nhs.uk/catalogue/PUB20018

BRIEFING PAPER Number SN06887, 6 December 2016

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