CANCER STATISTICS

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Key statistics (Female genital organs, ICD-10: C51-58)

Cancer incidence 2017–2021
Average number of new cases per year 1888
Age-standardised incidence per 100 000 persons per year 60.0
Proportion of all cancers 11.0%
Risk of developing cancer during lifetime 5.3%
Average annual change in years 2012–2021 -0.1%
Cancer mortality 2017–2021
Average number of deaths per year 765
Age-standardised mortality per 100 000 persons per year 22.7
Proportion of all cancer deaths 12.7%
Risk of dying from cancer during lifetime 2.6%
Average annual change in years 2012–2021 -0.9%
Cancer prevalence at the end of 2021
Number of people living with cancer diagnosis 23278
Number of people living with cancer per 100 000 persons 829.8
Relative survival 2017–2021
One year after diagnosis 86%
Five years after diagnosis 67%

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Age-specific cancer incidence and mortality 2017–2021

Cancer incidence and mortality in 1953–2021 (age-standardised)

Cancer survival in 1962–2021 (age-standardised)

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How to interpret the table and figures? (Female genital organs)

Cancer incidence in 2017–2021

  • On average 1888 women were diagnosed with cancer each year
    • 11.0% of all new cancer cases in women
    • relative to population, 60.0 in 100,000 women were diagnosed with cancer each year (if the population’s age structure corresponded to Finland’s age structure in 2014).
  • The risk of developing cancer was highest in women aged 80-84 years (see top figure)
    • 206 in 100,000 women developed cancer each year
  • 5.3% of women develop cancer during their lifetime. This calculated estimate is based on the cancer incidence in 2017–2021.
  • Over the last ten years, 2012–2021, the average risk of cancer
    • did not change statistically significantly

Cancer mortality in 2017–2021

  • On average, 765 women died from cancer each year
    • 12.7% of all cancer deaths in women
  • The risk of dying from cancer was highest in women aged 85 and over (see top figure)
    • 138 in 100,000 women died from cancer each year
  • 2.6% of women die from cancer during their lifetime. This calculated estimate is based on the cancer mortality in 2017–2021.
  • Over the last ten years, 2012–2021, the average risk of dying from cancer
    • decreased by 0.9% per year in women

Number of people living with breast cancer at the end of 2021

  • 23278 women diagnosed with cancer were alive
    • 0.8% of women in Finland

Patient survival in 2017–2021

  • The average survival of patients was
    • 86% one year after diagnosis
    • 67% five years after diagnosis

Learn more about cancer diseases on the website All about cancer.

CONCEPTS

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Terms and definitions used in the cancer statistics

Cancer incidence The number of new cancer cases over a specific period of time (e.g. one calendar year) in the population. The incidence ratio is the number of cases per 100,000 persons per year. It is the number of new cases age-standardised to Finland’s age structure in 2014, i.e. in relation to the population, if the age structure of the population corresponded to the age structure in Finland in 2014. Gender differences or temporal changes in the age structure do not influence age-standardised incidence.
Cancer mortality The number of deaths attributable to cancer over a specific period of time in the population. The mortality ratio is the number of deaths per 100,000 persons per year. It is the number of cancer deaths age-standardised to Finland’s age structure in 2014, i.e. in relation to the population, if the age structure of the population corresponded to the age structure in Finland in 2014. Gender differences or temporal changes in the age structure do not influence age-standardised mortality.
Ten-year development in incidence and mortality Changes in the incidence and mortality of cancer were examined by comparing the average incidence and mortality rates per age group over the last ten years. The change percentage describes the average annual change in incidence and mortality rates per age group relative to the population. For example, a change percentage in incidence of +2% means an annual increase of 2 per cent, whereas –2% means an annual decrease of 2 per cent in age-standardised incidence.
People living with cancer (prevalence) The number of people living with cancer in the population at the end of 2021. The prevalence proportion is the corresponding number in relation to the population.
Patient survival The average survival of patients is measured by a relative survival ratio. It is an estimate of the proportion of patients who are alive after a certain period of time after diagnosis, if the cancer were the only factor affecting the mortality. The time series for patient survival has been age-standardised to the age distribution of patients diagnosed in Finland between 2017 and 2021, so that changes in the age structure do not affect the time series.