Key message:
Penile cancer is a rare disease, with an age standardised rate of 1.3 cases per 100,000 males in England, in 2008-2010. Comparing 1990-92 and 2008-10, the rate for men aged under 50 has not changed significantly. For men aged 50-79, the rate has increased while for men aged 80 and over has decreased.
Penile Cancer – Incidence by Age
Introduction
Penile cancer in England is a rare disease. The rate over the last 20 years is typically 1 case per 100,000. Between 2008 and 2010, around 400 cases each year were diagnosed in England. This data briefing examines how incidence rates of penile cancer varied with age between 1990 and 2010.
Results
The National Cancer Data Repository 2010 was used to identify all malignant penile cancers (ICD-10 code C60) diagnosed between 1990 and 2010. Cases were grouped in broad age bands: 0-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79 and 80+. Directly age-standardised Rates (ASR) were calculated for 3-year rolling cohorts, using the 1976 European Standard Population.
Incidence of penile cancer by age, standardised rate per 100,000 men, in England: 1990-2010
Comparing ASRs from the first three years (1990-92) to the last three years (2008-10) allows a magnitude of change to be derived. Rates in the 50-59, 60-69 and 70-79 age groups were higher in 2008-10 (19% (p=0.04), 20% (p=0.01) and 19% (p=0.01) respectively). No difference was seen for the other age groups. Although there was a statistically significant increasing trend for diagnoses in those aged 40-49 and a decreasing trend for those aged 80 and over, comparing the two time periods there was no statistically significant difference. This is because trends (second graph) are based on more data and have more power to detect changes.
Incidence of penile cancer by age, age-standardised rate per 100,000 men, in England: 1990-2010
The ASR in the 0-40 age group shows no trend between 1990-92 and 2008-10 and remains at 0.1 per 100,000 during the whole study period. The 40-49, 50-59, 60-69 and 70-79 age groups all show an upward linear trend in ASR during the study period (p=0.04, p<0.001, p<0.001, p<0.01 respectively). The 80 and over age group shows a downward linear trend in ASR during the study period (p<0.001).
Incidence of penile cancer by age, age-standardised rate per 100,000 men, in England: 1990-92 compared to 2008-10
FIND OUT MORE
The PHE Knowledge and Intelligence Team South West is the lead Knowledge and Intelligence Team for urological cancer.
Other useful resources
What cancer statistics are available, and where can I find them? - December 2013