Who dies of other cancers?
In the median of the 36 countries that publish causes of death by age, 3.8% of men and 3.4% of women eventually die of other cancers. It is the most likely cause of death in 3 of their 1,152 country, sex and age groups.
The risk by age
Chance of dying of other cancers within 10 years, and its share of all the risk at that age — the median of 36 countries. Your own country's numbers are one click away on its page.
| Age | men | women |
|---|---|---|
| 15–19 | 0.02% (3.5% of the risk) | 0.01% (5.3% of the risk) |
| 20–24 | 0.02% (3.0% of the risk) | 0.01% (4.6% of the risk) |
| 25–29 | 0.03% (2.8% of the risk) | 0.02% (3.7% of the risk) |
| 30–34 | 0.04% (2.8% of the risk) | 0.02% (4.0% of the risk) |
| 35–39 | 0.06% (3.1% of the risk) | 0.05% (4.6% of the risk) |
| 40–44 | 0.09% (3.3% of the risk) | 0.08% (5.3% of the risk) |
| 45–49 | 0.16% (3.5% of the risk) | 0.12% (5.4% of the risk) |
| 50–54 | 0.27% (4.1% of the risk) | 0.20% (5.4% of the risk) |
| 55–59 | 0.46% (4.5% of the risk) | 0.32% (5.6% of the risk) |
| 60–64 | 0.70% (4.6% of the risk) | 0.49% (5.7% of the risk) |
| 65–69 | 1.0% (4.5% of the risk) | 0.72% (5.2% of the risk) |
| 70–74 | 1.5% (4.4% of the risk) | 1.1% (4.7% of the risk) |
| 75–79 | 2.0% (4.0% of the risk) | 1.5% (3.8% of the risk) |
| 80–84 | 2.5% (3.5% of the risk) | 1.9% (3.1% of the risk) |
| 85–89 | 2.5% (2.8% of the risk) | 2.1% (2.5% of the risk) |
| 90–94 | 2.3% (2.4% of the risk) | 1.8% (2.0% of the risk) |
Where it's the most likely cause of death
Lifetime chance, men: highest and lowest countries
Lifetime chance, women: highest and lowest countries
What changes the odds
- In large cohort studies, people who smoke died of it about 1.6 times as often as people who never smoked (Carter 2015).
This group gathers less common cancers. Most cancers share the same ways to lower the risk — not smoking, little alcohol, a healthy weight, being active and avoiding sunburn — and a symptom that doesn't go away is a reason to see a doctor.
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Related: Lung cancer · Colorectal cancer · Breast cancer · Prostate cancer · Pancreatic cancer · Oesophageal cancer · Stomach cancer · Liver cancer · Cervical cancer · Uterine & ovarian cancer · Leukaemia & lymphoma · Brain cancer · Melanoma (skin cancer) · Kidney cancer · Bladder cancer · Mouth, throat & larynx cancer
Questions
- At what age is other cancers most likely to be the cause of death?
- For men, other cancers takes its largest share of deaths at 60–64: 4.6% of the risk of dying in the next 10 years, in the median of the 36 countries that publish causes of death by age.
- Which country has the highest risk of dying of other cancers?
- Of the 36 countries that publish causes of death by age, France has the highest lifetime chance of dying of other cancers for men (5.7%), and Moldova the lowest (1.4%).
- What raises the risk of dying of other cancers?
- In large cohort studies, people who smoke died of it about 1.6 times as often as people who never smoked (Carter 2015).
Computed by Odainn from official mortality statistics (Eurostat; ONS, NRS and NISRA; CDC; Statistics Canada) for 36 countries, latest years — how we calculate. Belarus is left out: deaths by cause and age aren't published together there, so the split by cause is our estimate. Population statistics, not a prediction for any individual. Educational, not medical advice.