Cancer Registration Statistics, England 2020

This section contains a summary of cancer incidence by Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD). The IMD is the official measure of relative deprivation in England and is applied to the postcode of residence at diagnosis of each patient. The IMD was grouped into quintiles, which were weighted so that the quintiles were equal in terms of the number of Lower-layer Super Output Areas (LSOAs). The fall in the number and rate of registered cancer diagnoses by deprivation is also different for males and females.

For all cancers for males, the numerical fall in age-standardised rates of cancer diagnoses for males between 2019 and 2020 was largest in the most deprived quintile. The proportionate fall in age-standardised rates of cancer diagnoses for males between 2019 and 2020 was largest in the two least deprived quintiles.

For all cancers for females, the numerical fall in age-standardised rates of cancer diagnoses for females between 2019 and 2020 was largest in the most deprived quintile. The proportionate fall in age-standardised rates of cancer diagnoses for males between 2019 and 2020 was largest in the middle deprivation quintile.

Figure 7 shows that the age-standardised cancer incidence rate in 2020 was highest for both males and females living in the most deprived areas. The rate decreased consistently for each deprivation quintile from most deprived to least deprived. Males living in the least deprived areas still had a higher rate (554 per 100,000 people) than females living in the most deprived areas (550 per 100,000 people).

The age-standardised cancer incidence rate was 18% higher for males living in the most deprived areas (639 per 100,000 people) compared to the least deprived areas (544 per 100,000 people). The age-standardised cancer incidence rate was 19% higher for females living in the most deprived areas (550 per 100,000 people) compared to the least deprived areas (562 per 100,000 people).

Between 2019 and 2020 the number of registered cancer diagnoses for all cancers fell in all regions for males and females with the population of the region reflected in the size of the numerical change.

For males, the proportionate decrease in the number of registered diagnoses for all cancers ranged between 10% and 15%. For females, the proportionate decrease in the number of registered diagnoses for all cancers ranged between 9% and 13%. For both males and females, the smallest decrease was in the South East. The largest decreases were in London for males and in London and Yorkshire and The Humber for females. Falls in age-standardised incidence rates for all cancers were largest in London for males and in London and Yorkshire and The Humber in females.

In 2020, the North East had the highest age-standardised incidence rate for all cancers in both males and females at 634 and 530 per 100,000 people respectively. In 2020, London had the lowest age-standardised incidence rate for all cancers in both males and females at 559 and 449 per 100,000 people respectively.