Deaths from common cancers - UK mortality statistics
This page presents statistics for the most common causes of cancer death in the UK.
Deaths from cancers of the lung, bowel, breast and prostate together account for 47% of all cancer deaths. The 20 most common causes of death from cancer are shown in Figure 2.1.1-3
Cigarette smoking has been identified as the single most important cause of preventable death in the UK. Overall, more than a quarter of all deaths from cancer, including an estimated 90% of lung cancer deaths, are linked to tobacco smoking.4
More information on mortality from different cancers can be found using the types of cancer menu.
Figure 2.1: The 20 Most Common Causes of Cancer Death UK, 2009
* Colorectum including anus (C18-C21) ** 8% of all female cancer deaths and 6% of all male cancer deaths are registered without specification of the primary site
More than 1 in 5 (22%) of all cancer deaths are from lung cancer. Colorectal cancer was the second most common cause of cancer death (10%) and, despite being extremely rare in men, breast cancer was the third most common cause of cancer death in all persons (8%).Cigarette smoking has been identified as the single most important cause of preventable death in the UK. Overall, more than a quarter of all deaths from cancer, including an estimated 90% of lung cancer deaths, are linked to tobacco smoking.4
More information on mortality from different cancers can be found using the types of cancer menu.
section updated 03/11/11
The top ten most common causes of cancer death in males are shown in Figures 2.2 and 2.3. Despite the fall in male lung cancer mortality rates, lung cancer is still by far the most common cause of male death from cancer, accounting for just under a quarter (24%) of all male cancer deaths with 19,724 deaths from lung cancer in 2009 in the UK.1-3
These three cancers - lung, prostate and colorectal - together accounted for just under half (47.2%) of all male cancer mortality in 2009.
Figure 2.2: The 10 Most Common Causes of Cancer Death in Males, UK, 2009
* Colorectum including anus (C18-C21) ** 6% of all male cancer deaths are registered without specification of the primary site
Prostate cancer was the second most common cause of cancer death in men (10,382 deaths), accounting for 13% of all male deaths from cancer. Colorectal cancer caused 8,600 deaths in men in 2009, accounting for 10% of all male cancer mortality.These three cancers - lung, prostate and colorectal - together accounted for just under half (47.2%) of all male cancer mortality in 2009.
Figure 2.3: The 10 Most Common Causes of Cancer Death in Males, Percentages of All Cancer Deaths (C00-97), UK, 2009
* Colorectum including anus (C18-C21) ** 6% of all male cancer deaths are registered without specification of the primary site
section updated 03/11/11
Lung cancer also causes the largest proportion of cancer deaths in females in the UK at 21% in 2009 (Figures 2.4 and 2.5).1-3
Please note: uterine cancer here refers to cancer of the uterus in addition to unspecified cancers of the uterus (ICD-10 codes C54+C55) - more information can be found in the incidence section on cancer of the uterus.
Figure 2.4: The 10 Most Common Causes of Cancer Death in Females, UK, 2009
* Colorectum including anus (C18-C21) ** 8% of all female cancer deaths are registered without specification of the primary site
There were 15,265 female lung cancer deaths in the UK in 2009. Breast cancer was the second most common cause of female cancer death, with 11,651 deaths and accounted for 16% of all female cancer mortality. Colorectal cancer was responsible for 7,308 (10%) female cancer deaths.
Deaths from lung, breast and colorectal cancers together account for nearly half (46%) of all female cancer mortality.Please note: uterine cancer here refers to cancer of the uterus in addition to unspecified cancers of the uterus (ICD-10 codes C54+C55) - more information can be found in the incidence section on cancer of the uterus.
Figure 2.5: The 10 Most Common Causes of Cancer Death in Females, Percentages of All Cancer Deaths (C00-C97), UK, 2009
* Colorectum including anus (C18-C21) ** 8% of all female cancer deaths are registered without specification of the primary site
section updated 03/11/11
Mortality rates for the majority of cancer types have decreased in the past 10 years (Figure 2.6 and 2.7). Apart from female lung cancer, all of the four most common causes of cancer death - lung, bowel, female breast and prostate cancers - have seen decreases in the last decade, with male lung cancer dropping by almost one fifth (-19%), and female breast cancer by -18%. The largest falls in mortality were for stomach cancer (37% drop in males and 33% drop in females); and cervical cancer (30% drop), between 1998-2000 and 2007-2009.
More information on mortality from different cancers can be found using the types of cancer menu.
Figure 2.6: The 20 Most Common Causes of Cancer Death, Percentage Change in European Age-Standardised Three Year Average Mortality Rates, Males, UK, 1998-2000 and 2007-2009
* Colorectum including anus (C18-C21) **Mesothelioma trends are for 2001-2003 and 2007-2009
Figure 2.7: The 20 Most Common Causes of Cancer Death, Percentage Change in European Age-Standardised Three Year Average Mortality Rates, Females, UK, 1998-2000 and 2007-2009
* Colorectum including anus (C18-C21) **Mesothelioma trends are for 2001-2003 and 2007-2009
For the same period, the mortality rate has increased for some of the major cancers. Liver cancer mortality rates have increased by more than a third in males (+34%) and by 30% in females, uterine (womb) cancer by +12% and malignant melanoma in males by 17%.More information on mortality from different cancers can be found using the types of cancer menu.
section updated 03/11/11
Deaths for cancer of unknown primary (CUP, also known as malignancy of unknown origin or cancer registered without specification of primary site) accounted for 6% (4,962) of cancer deaths in males and 8% (5,831) of cancer deaths in females in 2009 in the UK.
CUP is quite rare as a cause of death under the age of 40, but nearly three in five deaths from CUP (59%) occurred in persons aged 75 and over (2007-2009). There was, however, some variation between the sexes, with 54% of deaths in males from CUP being in the elderly compared with 64% of female death from CUP.
There is no standard definition of CUP, which means that the true mortality of this disease may be underestimated.5 CUP is coded by ICD-10 codes C77-C80.
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