Cancer mortality
2019

About this release

This release by Public Health Scotland (PHS) provides an update of cancer mortality statistics in Scotland to 2019.

A major part of NHSScotland’s efforts to lessen the burden of cancer on society is to reduce mortality from the disease. Cancer mortality describes deaths due to cancer. It is a product of both the occurrence (incidence) of cancer and survival from the disease. Each may vary for individual types of cancer.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the publication of these statistics was delayed in October 2020.

There is no main publication report for these statistics as the 2020 Cancer Mortality Statistics will be released in November 2021.

Main points

The overall risk of dying from cancer (the age-adjusted cancer mortality rate) fell by nearly 10%, a decrease of more than 12% for males and 6% for females. The number of annual cancer deaths increased over the same period. This is largely because the number of older people, who are at greater risk of developing cancer, increased.

Lung cancer was the most common cause of death from cancer in Scotland (4,095 deaths in 2019). A quarter of all deaths from cancer in Scotland were attributed to lung cancer which is more than double that of colorectal cancer, the next most common cause of death from cancer.

Between 2010 and 2019:

• In women, the risk of dying from cancer has increased most for cancers of the liver (49%) and womb (uterus) (37%). The risk of dying from cancer in women has decreased most for cancers of the stomach (30%), mesothelioma (29%), breast (15%) and lung (9%).
• In men, the risk of dying from cancer has increased most for cancers of the liver– by 43%. The risk of dying from cancer in men has decreased most for cancers of the stomach (34%), mesothelioma (30%), malignant melanoma of skin (26%) and lung (25%).

For all cancers combined, the most deprived areas have incidence rates that are 28% higher than the least deprived areas. Mortality rates for all cancers combined are 66% higher in the most deprived compared with the least deprived areas. The possible reasons for these patterns are complex and reflect modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors for developing cancer, uptake of screening, access to treatments and other health conditions.

Background

This publication uses death registration data supplied by National Records of Scotland. This release includes information broken down by age group, sex, NHS Board and regional cancer network. Summary tables and charts on cancer incidence and mortality by deprivation category are also updated for 28 types of cancer.

When using these statistics, it is more informative to examine trends in mortality over a number of years, rather than focussing on a single year of mortality. In the case of rare cancers, striking changes from one year to the next are likely to reflect random fluctuation caused by small numbers of deaths and may be misleading.

Further information

The next release of this publication will be 30 November 2021.