Merseyside

Cancer rates in Merseyside are the second highest in the North West.

Top 5 Areas of Need 

1. Liver cancer incidences in Merseyside are double the number recorded in the rest of England
2. The rate of lung, trachea and bronchus cancers in Merseyside are particularly concerning:  the region records 75% more cases of LTB cancer than the rest of England
3. Head and neck cancers are of particular concern for the region. Merseyside is most affected, with a 30% higher incidence of the condition than the national average
4. Merseyside has a 35% higher incidence rate of cervical cancer than the rest of England
5. Bladder cancer is another key burden for Merseyside - with a rate of incidences 17% higher than the rest of England

Cancer in Merseyside

Merseyside’s population is broadly in line with wider North West demographics, with 30% of the population aged over 55 and 8% over 75.

However, the region has high rates of cancer across a number of areas, with particularly concerning incidence rates of liver and lung cancer.

As a broad indicator of relative deprivation across the county, Merseyside has the highest percentage of people who are unemployed or in semi or unskilled manual roles, at 32%. This is exacerbated by the fact that only 16% of people in Merseyside fall into the top socio-economic band, which tracks those employed in senior level managerial, administrative, or professional roles.

Cancers of the head and neck, cervical cancer, and bladder cancer index significantly higher than the rest of England, with high levels reported. Although rare, incidence rates for liver cancer are most concerning – with rates double the average across the rest of England.

Lung cancer is also a challenge for Merseyside, with extremely high incidence rates reported across the county, which are 75% higher than the national average.

Find out more about our research into cancer incidence rates across the North West and North Wales via our full report.

Read the report