Publication, Part of Cancer registrations statistics, England
Cancer Registration Statistics, England, 2021 - Full release
National statistics, Accredited official statistics
Cancer mortality
This publication provides cancer mortality by ICD-10 site. We compare 2021 counts and rates with 2011 counts and rates to show how cancer mortality has changed over time.
The number of people dying from cancer has increased over time. For males, the number of deaths increased from 68,639 in 2011 to 71,669 in 2021. For females, the number of deaths increased from 61,935 in 2011 to 63,133 in 2021.
Despite the increase in number of deaths, the age-standardised rate of mortality from cancer has decreased for both males and females.
For males, the rate fell from 345 deaths per 100,000 people in 2011 to 296 deaths per 100,000 people in 2021. Similarly, for females, the rate fell from 237 deaths per 100,000 people in 2011 to 211 deaths per 100,000 people in 2021.
Table 1 shows the 3 primary cancer groups with the highest mortality rates per 100,000 people in 2021, which are bowel, lung and prostate for males and breast, bowel and lung for females.
Table 1: Age-standardised cancer mortality and incidence rates per 100,000 for the four most commonly diagnosed cancers in males and females, England, 2010 and 2019
| Main cancer site | Gender | 2011 incidence rate | 2021 incidence rate | 2011 mortality rate | 2021 mortality rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breast | Females | 164 | 173 | 37 | 30 |
| Bowel | Males | 93 | 93 | 35 | 31 |
| Bowel | Females | 60 | 62 | 22 | 21 |
| Lung | Males | 96 | 81 | 78 | 56 |
| Lung | Females | 64 | 66 | 49 | 42 |
| Prostate | Males | 179 | 172 | 50 | 43 |
The incidence and mortality rates for prostate, lung, and bowel cancer, in males, have all decreased between 2011 and 2021.
For females, the 3 cancers with the highest incidence rates per 100,000 people - breast, lung and bowel cancer - increased between 2011 and 2021 and the mortality rates fell over the same period.
Breast cancer incidence in females increased between 2011 and 2021, from 164 per 100,000 people to 173 per 100,000 people and the mortality rates fell from 37 per 100,000 people in 2011 to 30 per 100,000 people in 2021.
Lung cancer incidence in females increased between 2011 and 2021, from 64 per 100,000 people in 2011 to 66 per 100,000 people in 2021, but lung cancer mortality rates fell, from 49 per 100,000 people to 42 per 100,000 people.
Bowel cancer incidence in females increased between 2011 and 2021, from 60 per 100,000 people in 2011 to 62 per 100,000 people in 2021, but bowel cancer mortality rates fell, from 22 per 100,000 people to 21 per 100,000 people.
Last edited: 23 May 2024 10:39 am