How common is large bowel cancer?
• Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer in the UK. • About 38,610 people were diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2007 in the UK, that’s more than 100 people every day. • Bowel cancer is the second most common cancer in women after breast cancer, with around 17,600 new cases diagnosed in 2007. • In 2007, around 21,000 men were diagnosed with bowel cancer in the UK each year making it the third most common cancer in men after prostate and lung cancer. • Over 8 in 10 bowel cancer cases occur in people aged 60 and over. • Bowel cancer incidence rates have remained relatively stable for over a decade. • In Europe (EU-27) there were more than 333,000 new cases of bowel cancer diagnosed in 2008. • Worldwide 1.23 million new cases of bowel cancer were diagnosed in 2008. • The lowest incidence rates of bowel cancer are seen in South Central Asia, and Middle African countries. The highest rates are in Europe, North America and Australasia. Read more in-depth UK bowel cancer incidence statisti
