Non-melanoma skin cancer incidence statistics

Cases

New cases of non-melanoma skin cancer, 2016-2018, UK

Age

Peak rate of non-melanoma skin cases, 2016-2018, UK

 

Trend over time

Change in non-melanoma skin cancer incidence rates since the early 1990s, UK

 

43% of non-melanoma skin cancer cases in the UK are in females, and 57% are in males.

Non-melanoma skin cancer incidence rates (European age-standardised (AS) rate Open a glossary item) for persons are significantly higher than the UK average in Wales, significantly lower than the UK average in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and similar to the UK average in England.

For non-melanoma skin cancer, differences between countries largely reflect differences in diagnosis and data recording.

Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer (C44), Average Number of New Cases Per Year, Crude and European Age-Standardised (AS) Incidence Rates per 100,000 Population, UK, 2016-2018

  England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland UK
Female Cases 56,558 4,930 4,330 1,652 67,470
Crude Rate 201.0 177.1 273.2 173.7 201.7
AS Rate 201.1 170.3 248.5 187.4 200.5
AS Rate - 95% LCL 200.1 167.5 244.3 182.2 199.6
AS Rate - 95% UCL 202.1 173.0 252.8 192.6 201.4
Male Cases 73,314 6,961 5,952 2,288 88,514
Crude Rate 266.8 263.8 386.3 248.5 271.7
AS Rate 315.4 307.4 409.2 325.0 319.9
AS Rate - 95% LCL 314.1 303.3 403.2 317.3 318.7
AS Rate - 95% UCL 316.7 311.6 415.3 332.7 321.1
Persons Cases 129,873 11,891 10,282 3,940 155,985
Crude Rate 233.5 219.3 328.9 210.5 236.2
AS Rate 250.9 227.8 319.1 246.7 252.4
AS Rate - 95% LCL 250.1 225.5 315.5 242.3 251.6
AS Rate - 95% UCL 251.7 230.2 322.7 251.2 253.1

95% LCL and 95% UCL are the 95% lower and upper confidence limits around the AS Rate Open a glossary item
 

References

  1. Data were provided by the National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service (part of Public Health England), on request through the Office for Data Release, July 2021. Similar data can be found here: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/bulletins/cancerregistrationstatisticsengland/previousReleases
  2. Data were provided by ISD Scotland on request, April 2020. Similar data can be found here: http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Cancer/Publications.
  3. Data were published by the Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit, Health Intelligence Division, Public Health Wales https://phw.nhs.wales/services-and-teams/welsh-cancer-intelligence-and-surveillance-unit-wcisu/cancer-incidence-in-wales-2002-2018/, March 2021.
  4. Data were provided by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry on request, May 2020. Similar data can be found here: http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/nicr/.

About this data

Data is for UK, 2016-2018, ICD-10 C44.

Last reviewed:

Non-melanoma skin cancer incidence is strongly related to age, with the highest incidence rates being in older people. In the UK in 2016-2018, on average each year almost half of new cases (48%) were in people aged 75 and over.[1-4]

Age-specific incidence rates rise steadily from around age 35-39 and more steeply from around age 60-64.The highest rates are in in the 90+ age group for females and males.

Incidence rates are significantly higher in females than males in the younger age groups and significantly lower in females than males in the older age groups.The gap is widest at age 85 to 89, when the age-specific incidence rate is 2 times lower in females than males.

Non-melanoma skin cancer (C44), Average Number of New Cases per Year and Age-Specific Incidence Rates per 100,000 Population, UK, 2016-2018

For non-melanoma skin cancer, like most cancer types, incidence increases with age. This largely reflects cell DNA damage accumulating over time. Damage can result from biological processes or from exposure to risk factors. A drop or plateau in incidence in the oldest age groups often indicates reduced diagnostic activity perhaps due to general ill health.

See also

Skin cancer mortality statistics by age

Skin cancer survival statistics by age

Cancer incidence statistics by age for all cancers

References

  1. Data were provided by the National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service (part of Public Health England), on request through the Office for Data Release, July 2021. Similar data can be found here: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/bulletins/cancerregistrationstatisticsengland/previousReleases
  2. Data were provided by ISD Scotland on request, April 2020. Similar data can be found here: http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Cancer/Publications.
  3. Data were published by the Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit, Health Intelligence Division, Public Health Wales https://phw.nhs.wales/services-and-teams/welsh-cancer-intelligence-and-surveillance-unit-wcisu/cancer-incidence-in-wales-2002-2018/, March 2021.
  4. Data were provided by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry on request, May 2020. Similar data can be found here: http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/nicr/.

About this data

Data is for UK, 2016-2018, ICD-10 C43.

Last reviewed:

Non-melanoma skin cancer European age-standardised (AS) Open a glossary item incidence rates for females and males combined increased by 169% in the UK between 1993-1995 and 2016-2018.[1-4] The increase was of a similar size in females and males.

For females, non-melanoma skin cancer AS incidence rates in the UK increased by 163% between 1993-1995 and 2016-2018. For males, non-melanoma skin cancer AS incidence rates in the UK increased by 163% between 1993-1995 and 2016-2018.

Over the last decade in the UK (between 2006-2008 and 2016-2018), non-melanoma skin cancer AS incidence rates for females and males combined increased by 42%. In females AS incidence rates increased by 42%, and in males rates increased by 40%.

Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer (C44), European Age-Standardised Incidence Rates, UK, 1993 to 2018

Non-melanoma skin cancer incidence rates have increased overall in all broad age groups in females and males combined in the UK since the early 1990s.[1-4] Rates in 0-24s have increased by 29%, in 25-49s have increased by 153%, in 50-59s have increased by 130%, in 60-69s have increased by 143%, in 70-79s have increased by 180% and in 80+s have increased by 198%.

Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer (C44), European Age-Standardised Incidence Rates per 100,000 Persons Population, By Age, UK, 1993-2018

References

  1. Data were provided by the National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service (part of Public Health England), on request through the Office for Data Release, July 2021. Similar data can be found here: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/bulletins/cancerregistrationstatisticsengland/previousReleases
  2. Data were provided by ISD Scotland on request, April 2020. Similar data can be found here: http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Cancer/Publications.
  3. Data were published by the Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit, Health Intelligence Division, Public Health Wales https://phw.nhs.wales/services-and-teams/welsh-cancer-intelligence-and-surveillance-unit-wcisu/cancer-incidence-in-wales-2002-2018/, March 2021.
  4. Data were provided by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry on request, May 2020. Similar data can be found here: http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/nicr/.

About this data

Data is for UK, 1993-2018, ICD-10 C44.

Last reviewed:

The number of new non-melanoma skin cancer cases on average each year in the UK is projected to rise from more than 188,000 cases in 2023-2025 to more than 262,000 cases in 2038-2040.[1]

Non-melanoma skin cancer incidence rates are projected to rise by 14% in the UK between 2023-2025 and 2038-2040, to 310 cases per 100,000 people on average each year by 2038-2040.[1] This includes a similar increase for males and females.

For females, non-melanoma skin cancer European age standardised (AS) Open a glossary item incidence rates in the UK are projected to rise by 19% between 2023-2025 and 2038-2040, to 267 cases per 100,000 per year by 2038-2040.[1] For males, AS rates are projected to rise by 9% between 2023-2025 and 2038-2040, to 362 cases per 100,000 per year by 2038-2040.[1]

Non-melanoma skin cancer (C44), Observed and Projected Age-Standardised Incidence Rates, by Sex, UK, 1993-2040

Download the data table (xlsx)

See also

Find out how these projections were calculated

Incidence trends over time for non-melanoma skin cancer

Projections of incidence for all cancers combined

Non-melanoma skin cancer risk

Download the projections data table

References

Calculated by the Cancer Intelligence Team at Cancer Research UK, February 2023. Age-period-cohort modelling approach described here, using 2020-based population projections (Office for National Statistics) and observed cancer incidence (1975-2018 for England, Scotland and Wales, 1993-2018 for Northern Ireland).

About this data

Projections are based on incidence data from 1975-2018 (England and Scotland), 1975-2015 (Wales) and 1993-2018 (Northern Ireland); the above figure presents all UK data from 1993-2018 (observed) and 2019-2040 (projected). Number of new cases and age-standardised rates are presented as annual averages for each 3-year rolling period. ICD-10 codes C44.

Projections are based on observed incidence rates and therefore implicitly include changes in cancer risk factors and diagnosis. Confidence intervals are not calculated for the projected figures. Projections are by their nature uncertain because unexpected events in future could change the trend. It is not sensible to calculate a boundary of uncertainty around these already uncertain point estimates. Changes are described as 'increase' or 'decrease' if there is any difference between the point estimates.

More on projections methodology

Last reviewed:

Non-melanoma skin cancer incidence rates (European age-standardised (AS) rates Open a glossary item) in England in females are 40% lower in the most deprived quintile compared with the least, and in males are 42% lower in the most deprived quintile compared with the least (2013-2017).[1]

It is estimated that there are around 25,000 fewer cases of non-melanoma skin cancer each year in England than there would be if every deprivation quintile had the same age-specific crude incidence rates as the least deprived quintile. Around 10,800 of these cases are in females, and around 14,200 in males.

Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer (C44), Estimated Average Number of Fewer Cases per Year, by Deprivation Quintile, England, 2013-2017

Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer (C44), European Age-Standardised Incidence Rates per 100,000 Population, by Deprivation Quintile, England, 2013-2017

See also

Data table: Cancer incidence rates and excess cases by cancer type in England

Incidence by deprivation for all cancer types combined

Cancer incidence by deprivation for Scotland

Cancer incidence by deprivation for Wales

Cancer incidence by deprivation for Northern Ireland

References

  1. Calculated by the Cancer Intelligence Team at Cancer Research UK, April 2020. Based on method reported in National Cancer Intelligence Network Cancer by Deprivation in England Incidence, 1996-2010 Mortality, 1997-2011 . Using cancer incidence data 2013-2017 (Public Health England) and population data 2013-2017 (Office for National Statistics) by Indices of Multiple Deprivation 2015 income domain quintile, cancer type, sex, and five-year age band.

About this data

Data is for England, 2013-2017, ICD-10 C44.

Last reviewed:

Cancer stats explained

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Cancer stats explained

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