Cancer incidence in Scotland
To December 2024

About this release

This release by Public Health Scotland (PHS) provides an annual update of cancer incidence and prevalence statistics in Scotland to 31 December 2024. All cancer types are included. For the first time, this report includes data for cancers of unknown primary (CUP). CUP is a diagnosis made when tumour cells are found in the body, but the original site where the cancer began cannot be identified. Generally, cancer incidence statistics should be interpreted in the context of long-term trends.

Main points

In 2024:

• There were 37,657 new cancers registered in Scotland (19,473 in males and 18,184 in females). This was similar to the previous year (179 fewer than in 2023).
• The risk of developing cancer overall was higher in males (724 per 100,000) than females (588 per 100,000).
• The most common cancer types in Scotland were prostate, breast, lung, and colorectal, accounting for 55% of all diagnoses.

In the decade up to, and including, 2024:

• There was a significant 4% increase in overall cancer incidence rates in males.
• In males, there were significant increases in the rates of prostate cancer (50%) and malignant melanoma of the skin (28%). There were significant decreases in the rates of lung cancer (23%), head and neck cancer (6%), bladder cancer (10%), oesophageal cancer (10%) and CUP (16%).
• In females, there were significant increases in the rates of breast cancer (8%), colorectal cancer (8%), and malignant melanoma of the skin (by more than a third, 37%). There were significant decreases in the rates of lung cancer (7%), CUP (15%), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (16%) and kidney cancer (9%).
• The incidence of colorectal cancer in under 50-year-olds has increased. The European age-sex-standardised rate (EASR) increased by 38% (from 7 per 100,000 to 9 per 100,000). The increase in rates was larger in females (56%) than males (25%).

Line chart showing colorectal cancer incidence rates in people aged under 50 years in Scotland from 2014 to 2024. Rates increased overall for males, females and all persons, with a temporary decrease in 2020. In 2024, rates were 9.6 per 100,000 for males, 9.2 per 100,000 for females and 9.4 per 100,000 for all persons.

Close

European age-sex-standardised rate (EASR) of colorectal cancer in persons aged under 50 years old, 2014-2024, by sex

For those eligible to take part in national cancer screening programmes:

• Screen-detected cancers were more likely to be diagnosed at an early stage (stage I) than cancers detected by other methods. The percentage of stage I tumours for screen-detected cancers compared with cancers detected by other methods was: 67% vs. 33% for breast cancer; 30% vs. 14% for colorectal cancer; and 83% vs. 25% for cervical cancer.
• A decrease in early-stage cervical cancer diagnoses, with 47% diagnosed at stage I in 2024 compared with 54% in 2023, highlights the importance of improving uptake of cervical screening to support earlier diagnosis.

Falling cancer incidence reflects successful public health efforts:

• The long-term decrease in smoking is now reflected in decreasing incidence of cancers of the lung, head and neck, bladder and oesophagus.
• Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination has resulted in no cases of cervical cancer in women under 25 years old in 2024.
• CUP often has poor outcomes, but incidence has fallen because diagnostic tests have become better at identifying the cancer’s origin.
• Increasing proportions of cancers diagnosed at earlier stages reflect the benefits of screening, seen for breast cancer, and patients seeking help earlier, seen for lung cancer.

Cancer incidence remained higher in the most deprived areas, with a similar deprivation gap in 2020–2024 and 2015–2019 (26% and 29%, respectively). The risk of developing three of the most common cancers - prostate cancer, breast cancer and malignant melanoma of the skin - was higher in the least deprived areas of Scotland. In contrast, the risk of lung, colorectal and cervical cancer was higher in the most deprived areas.

Background

The Scottish Cancer Registry collects information on every cancer in Scotland and uses the data to inform cancer control. Cancer registrations are believed to be essentially complete for the year 2024, but it is important to note that the cancer registration database is dynamic (i.e. late registrations for 2024 can still be recorded after these data have been published). Reporting of "All cancers" by convention excludes non-melanoma skin cancers, but every cancer is registered.

Cancer incidence reflects risk factors for developing cancer, efforts to detect cancer (e.g. public awareness, screening programmes and the impact of the pandemic on diagnosis pathways) and the at-risk population (which is increasing due to an ageing and expanding population).

Further information

The next release of this publication will be in 2027.