Cancer Registrations Statistics, England 2021- First release, counts only

The percentage of cancers diagnosed at stage 1 and 2 are presented as the percentage of staged cancer diagnoses (diagnoses that are unstageable or have missing stage information are not included in the estimates).

Of the 18 cancers examined, the percentage of cancer with complete staging data (those with stage 1 to 4, or equivalent speciality staging classifications, see Data Quality and methodology section) for females varied between 70% for pancreas cancer to 89% for lung cancer. For males, the lowest was 70% for non-Hodgkin lymphoma; the highest was 90% for cancers of the oropharynx, base of tongue, tonsil, soft palate and uvula.

Figures 4  and 5 show the percentage of staged cancers diagnosed at stage 1 and 2, and stage 3 and 4, for males and females. For males, testicular cancer had the highest percentage diagnosed at stage 1 and 2 (90%). For females, breast cancer had high percentages diagnosed at stage 1 and 2 (85%). Of cancers commonly diagnosed in both males and females, melanoma of the skin had the highest percentage diagnosed at stage 1 and 2 for both males (85%) and females (89%).

The greatest differences between the genders in the percentage of cancers diagnosed at stage 1 and 2 were for:

• breast cancer: females had 12%-point higher percentage than males (85% versus 72%)
• Hodgkin lymphoma: females had 8%-point higher percentage than males (50% versus 42%)

Notes:

• Cancers that were unstageable or had missing data were excluded from the estimates. Cancer diagnoses without enough information available to NCRAS to assign a stage are said to be ‘missing’. For a complete breakdown of all stages (stage 1 and 2, stage 3 and 4, Unstageable and Missing) please see the data tables.
• All ages are combined.

Cancer sites were included if they have a valid staging system, an average of at least 70% of diagnoses with a valid stage in the three most recent diagnosis years for each gender, and none of the three diagnosis years had significantly lower than 70% of diagnoses with a valid stage for each gender. These groups include the five most commonly diagnosed cancers for males and females. More information on stage at diagnosis is included in the case-mix adjusted percentage of cancers diagnosed at stage 1 and 2 Collection.

For all cancer sites except larynx, oesophagus and oral cavity for both males and females and testis for males, the proportion of missing data has increased between 2019 and 2021. The increase in missing stage data was greatest in non-Hodgkin lymphoma (6% - males and females), breast (6% - males), kidney (5% - males and females), ovary (5% - females).

The reason for this change in the level of completeness of stage at diagnosis is discussed in the data quality and methodology section.