Cancer Survival in England, cancers diagnosed 2016 to 2020, followed up to 2021

For adults diagnosed with cancer between 2016 and 2020, followed up to the end of 2021, age-standardised estimates of 1-year and 5-year net survival by cancer group are presented in Figure 1 for males and Figure 2 for females, ordered by 1-year net survival estimates. 

Figure 1: Age-standardised 1-year and 5-year net survival for males (aged 15 to 99 years) diagnosed with cancer in the period 2016 to 2020 and followed up to 2021

Figure 2: Age-standardised 1-year and 5-year net survival for females (aged 15 to 99 years) diagnosed with cancer in the period 2016 to 2020 and followed up to 2021

Notes: 

1. Survival estimates were age-standardised using a standard set of age-specific weights provided by the International Cancer Survival Standard (ICSS). 

2. Survival estimates presented are for persons except for cervix, ovary, uterus and vulva (females only) and larynx, prostate and testis (males only). 

3. 5-year estimates are not presented for anus cancer (males only), gallbladder (males only) and mesothelioma (males and females) because these estimates did not pass the statistical tests set out in the Cancer Survival Methodology document. 

4. The International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision (ICD-10) was used to classify cancer sites. 

Figures 1 and 2 were ordered by 1-year net survival. They show that 5-year net survival estimates do not have the same high to low pattern as 1-year net survival, and that the order of cancer sites from high to low can differ between males and females. 

Melanoma of the skin had the highest 1-year survival estimate for males (97.3%) and females (98.6%). 

Melanoma of the skin was the highest estimate for 5-year survival for females (94.6%) whereas testis cancer has the highest estimate of 5-year survival for males (93.5%).  

Pancreatic cancer had the lowest survival estimate of all cancers for 1-year, for both males (27.4%) and females (28.1%). For 5-year survival, pancreatic survival was lowest for females (8.2%) and males (8.4%).  

For males, 5-year survival was below 20% for brain, liver, lung, oesophagus and pancreatic cancers. For females, 5-year survival was below 20% for brain, gallbladder, liver, oesophagus and pancreatic cancers.