Brain, other CNS and intracranial tumours mortality statistics

Deaths

Deaths from brain tumours, 2017-2019, UK.

Percentage of all deaths

Percentage brain tumours contributes to total cancer deaths, 2017-2019, UK

Age

Peak mortality rate for brain tumour, 2017-2019, UK

Trend over time

Change in brain tumour mortality rates since the early 1970s, UK

Brain, other CNS and intracranial tumours is the 10th most common cause of cancer death in the UK, accounting for 3% of all cancer deaths (2017-2019).[1-4]

In females in the UK, brain, other CNS and intracranial tumours is the 9th most common cause of cancer death (3% of all female cancer deaths). In males in the UK, it is the 9th most common cause of cancer death (3% of all male cancer deaths).

44% of brain, other CNS and intracranial tumours deaths in the UK are in females, and 56% are in males (2017-2019).

Brain, other CNS and intracranial tumours mortality rates (European age-standardised Open a glossary item (AS) rates) in the UK are significantly lower in females than in males (2017-2019).

Brain, other CNS and intracranial tumours mortality rates (European age-standardised Open a glossary item (AS) rates) for persons are similar to the UK average in all the UK constituent countries.

For brain, other CNS and intracranial tumours, mortality rates do not vary between UK constituent nations however incidence rates do vary between the UK constituent nations.

Brain, Other CNS and Intracranial Tumours (C70-C72, C75.1-C75.3, D32-D33, D35.2-D35.4, D42-D43, D44.3-D44.5), Annual Average Number of Deaths, Crude and European Age-Standardised (AS) Mortality Rates per 100,000 Persons Population, UK, 2017-2019

  England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland UK
Female Deaths 2,000 216 119 62 2,397
Crude Rate 7.1 7.7 7.5 6.5 7.1
AS Rate 7.0 7.5 6.9 6.9 7.1
AS Rate - 95% LCL 6.9 6.9 6.1 5.9 6.9
AS Rate - 95% UCL 7.2 8.0 7.6 7.8 7.2
Male Deaths 2,553 254 167 86 3,059
Crude Rate 9.2 9.6 10.8 9.2 9.3
AS Rate 10.4 10.3 11.0 11.2 10.4
AS Rate - 95% LCL 10.1 9.5 10.1 9.8 10.2
AS Rate - 95% UCL 10.6 11.0 12.0 12.5 10.6
Persons Deaths 4,553 469 286 148 5,456
Crude Rate 8.1 8.6 9.1 7.8 8.2
AS Rate 8.6 8.8 8.8 8.9 8.6
AS Rate - 95% LCL 8.5 8.3 8.2 8.0 8.5
AS Rate - 95% UCL 8.7 9.2 9.4 9.7 8.8

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

See also

Brain tumour incidence statistics by sex and UK region

Brain, other CNS and intracranial tumours survival statistics

Cancer mortality statistics for common cancers in the UK

References

  1. England and Wales data were accessed from Nomis mortality statistics by underlying cause, sex and age, November 2021: Nomis mortality statistics by underlying cause, sex and age.
  2. Scotland data were provided by ISD Scotland on request, November 2021. Similar data can be found here: http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Cancer/Publications/index.asp(link is external).
  3. Northern Ireland data were provided by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry on request, February 2022. Similar data can be found here: http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/nicr/.
  4. Population data were published by the Office for National statistics, accessed July 2020. The data can be found here: Population estimates for the UK, England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, provisional: mid-2019.

About this data

Data is for UK, 2017-2019, C70-C72, C75.1-C75.3, D32-D33, D35.2-D35.4, D42-D43, D44.3-D44.5.

Last reviewed:

Brain, other CNS and intracranial tumours mortality is strongly related to age, with the highest mortality rates being in older people. In the UK in 2017-2019, on average each year around a third of deaths (34%) were in people aged 75 and over.[1-4] This is a lower proportion of deaths in older age groups compared with most cancers.

Age-specific mortality rates rise steadily from around age 25-29 and more steeply from around age 45-49. The highest rates are in the 90+ age group for both females and males. Mortality rates are significantly lower in females than males in a number of (mainly older) age groups. The gap is widest at age 40 to 44, when the age-specific mortality rate is 1.8 times lower in females than males.

Brain, Other CNS and Intracranial Tumours (C70-C72, C75.1-C75.3, D32-D33, D35.2-D35.4, D42-D43, D44.3-D44.5), Average Number of Deaths per Year and Age-Specific Mortality Rates per 100,000 Persons Population, UK, 2017-2019

See also

Brain tumour incidence statistics by age

Brain tumour survival statistics by age

Cancer mortality statistics by age for all cancers

References

  1. England and Wales data were accessed from Nomis mortality statistics by underlying cause, sex and age, November 2021: Nomis mortality statistics by underlying cause, sex and age.
  2. Scotland data were provided by ISD Scotland on request, November 2021. Similar data can be found here: http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Cancer/Publications/index.asp(link is external).
  3. Northern Ireland data were provided by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry on request, February 2022. Similar data can be found here: http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/nicr/.
  4. Population data were published by the Office for National statistics, accessed July 2020. The data can be found here: Population estimates for the UK, England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, provisional: mid-2019.

About this data

Data is for UK, 2017-2019, ICD-10 C70-C72, C75.1-C75.3, D32-D33, D35.2-D35.4, D42-D43, D44.3-D44.5.

Last reviewed:

Malignant brain, other CNS and intracranial tumours European age-standardised (AS) Open a glossary item mortality rates for females and males combined increased by 53% in the UK between 1971-1973 and 2017-2019.[1-4] The increase was of a similar size in females and males.

For females, brain, other CNS and intracranial tumours AS mortality rates in the UK increased by 50% between 1971-1973 and 2017-2019. For males, brain, other CNS and intracranial tumours AS mortality rates in the UK increased by 55% between 1971-1973 and 2017-2019.

Over the last decade in the UK (between 2007-2009 and 2017-2019), brain, other CNS and intracranial tumours (malignant and non-malignant) AS mortality rates for females and males combined remained stable. In females AS mortality rates remained stable, and in males rates remained stable.

Malignant Brain, Other CNS and Intracranial Tumours (ICD-10 C70-C72, C75.1-C75.3), European Age-Standardised Mortality Rates per 100,000 Population, UK, 1971-2019

Brain, Other CNS and Intracranial Tumours (ICD-10 C70-C72, C75.1-C75.3, D32-D33, D35.2-D35.4, D42-D43, D44.3-D44.5), European Age-Standardised Mortality Rates per 100,000 Persons Population, UK, 1993-2019

For brain, other CNS and intracranial tumours, like most cancer types, mortality trends largely reflect incidence and survival trends, e.g. increased incidence without sufficient survival improvement results in increased mortality.

Malignant brain, other CNS and intracranial tumours mortality rates have varied between age groups in females and males combined in the UK since the early 1970s.[1-4] Rates in 0-24s have decreased by 55%, in 25-49s have decreased by 24%, in 50-59s have decreased by 13%, in 60-69s have increased by 41%, in 70-79s have increased by 301%, and in 80+s have increased by 1842%.

Malignant Brain, Other CNS and Intracranial Tumours (ICD-10 C70-C72, C75.1-C75.3), European Age-Standardised Mortality Rates per 100,000 Persons Population, By Age, UK, 1971-2019

Mortality data has been reliable for both malignant and non-malignant brain, other CNS and intracranial tumours since the early 1970s, however incidence data on non-malignant brain, other CNS and intracranial tumours were not consistently collected until the early 2000s onwards. To mirror the presentation of incidence trends, mortality trends from the early 1990s onwards are presented for malignant and non-malignant brain, other CNS and intracranial tumours combined, while mortality trends from the early 1970s onwards include malignant brain, other CNS and intracranial tumours only.

See also

Brain tumour incidence trends over time

Brain tumour survival trends over time

Brain, other CNS and intracranial tumours risk factors

References

  1. England and Wales data were accessed from Nomis mortality statistics by underlying cause, sex and age, November 2021: Nomis mortality statistics by underlying cause, sex and age.
  2. Scotland data were provided by ISD Scotland on request, November 2021. Similar data can be found here: http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Cancer/Publications/index.asp(link is external).
  3. Northern Ireland data were provided by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry on request, February 2022. Similar data can be found here: http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/nicr/.
  4. Population data were published by the Office for National statistics, accessed July 2020. The data can be found here: Population estimates for the UK, England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, provisional: mid-2019.

About this data

Data is for UK, 1971-2019, ICD-10 C70-C72, C75.1-C75.3 or for UK, 1993-2019, ICD-10 C70-C72, C75.1-C75.3, D32-D33, D35.2-D35.4, D42-D43, D44.3-D44.5.

Cancers in children and young people (aged 0-24) are best classified using a different system to cancers in adults, so the figures presented here may not correspond with those elsewhere.

Last reviewed:

It is projected that the average number of deaths from brain, other CNS and intracranial tumours in the UK every year will rise from around 5,700 deaths in 2023-2025 to around 6,600 deaths in 2038-2040.[1]

Brain, other CNS and intracranial tumours mortality rates are projected to fall by less than 1% in the UK between 2023-2025 and 2038-2040, to 8 deaths per 100,000 people on average each year by 2038-2040.[1] This includes a similar decrease for males and females.

For females, brain, other CNS and intracranial tumours European age-standardised (AS) Open a glossary item  mortality rates in the UK are projected to fall by less than 1% between 2023-2025 and 2038-2040, to 7 deaths per 100,000 per year by 2038-2040.[1] For males, AS rates are projected to fall by 1% between 2023-2025 and 2038-2040, to 10 deaths per 100,000 per year by 2038-2040.[1]

Brain, other CNS and intracranial tumours (C70-C72, C75.1-C75.3, D32-D33, D35.2-D35.4, D42-D43, D44.3-D44.5), Observed and Projected Age-Standardised Mortality Rates, by Sex, UK, 1975-2040

Download the data table (xlsx)

See also

Find out how these projections were calculated

Mortality trends over time for brain tumours

Projections of mortality for all cancers combined

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 mortality data (1975-2018).

About this data

Projections are based on mortality data from 1975-2018 (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland); the above figure presents all UK data from 1975-2018 (observed) and 2019-2040 (projected). Number of deaths and age-standardised rates are presented as annual averages for each 3-year rolling period. ICD-10 codes C70-C72, C75.1-C75.3, D32-D33, D35.2-D35.4, D42-D43, D44.3-D44.5.

Projections are based on observed mortality rates and therefore implicitly include changes in cancer risk factors, diagnosis and treatment. 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:

There is no evidence for an association between brain, other CNS and intracranial tumour mortality and deprivation for either males or females in England.[1] England-wide data for 2007-2011 show European age-standardised Open a glossary item mortality rates are similar for both males and females living in the most deprived areas compared with the least deprived.[1]

Brain, Other CNS and Intracranial Tumours (C70-C72,C751-3,D32-D33,D352-4,D42-D43,D443-5), European Age-Standardised Mortality Rates by Deprivation Quintile, England, 2007-2011

The estimated deprivation gradient in brain, other CNS and intracranial tumour mortality between people living in the most and least deprived areas in England has not changed in the period 2002-2011.[1]

See also

Deprivation gradient for cancer mortality

Deprivation gradient in brain, other CNS and intracranial tumours incidence

Socio-economic variation in cancer mortality for Scotland

Socio-economic variation in cancer mortality for Wales

Socio-economic variation in cancer mortality for Northern Ireland

References

  1. Cancer Research UK and National Cancer Intelligence Network. Cancer by deprivation in England: Incidence, 1996-2010, Mortality, 1997-2011. London: NCIN; 2014.

About this data

Data is for: UK, 2007-2011, ICD-10 C70-C72,C751-3,D32-D33,D352-4,D42-D43,D443-5

Deprivation gradient statistics were calculated using mortality data for 2007-2011. The deprivation quintiles were calculated using the Income domain scores from the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) from the following years: 2004, 2007 and 2010. Full details on the data and methodology can be found in the Cancer by Deprivation in England NCIN report.

Last reviewed:

Cancer stats explained

See information and explanations on terminology used for statistics and reporting of cancer, and the methods used to calculate some of our statistics.

Cancer stats explained

Citation

You are welcome to reuse this Cancer Research UK content for your own work.
Credit us as authors by referencing Cancer Research UK as the primary source. Suggested styles are:

Web content: Cancer Research UK, full URL of the page, Accessed [month] [year].
Publications: Cancer Research UK ([year of publication]), Name of publication, Cancer Research UK.
Graphics (when reused unaltered): Credit: Cancer Research UK.
Graphics (when recreated with differences): Based on a graphic created by Cancer Research UK.

When Cancer Research UK material is used for commercial reasons, we encourage a donation to our life-saving research.
Send a cheque payable to Cancer Research UK to: Cancer Research UK, 2 Redman Place, London, E20 1JQ or

Donate Online 

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the many organisations across the UK which collect, analyse, and share the data which we use, and to the patients and public who consent for their data to be used. Find out more about the sources which are essential for our statistics.