Profile of Cervical Cancer Mortality in Rio de Janeiro in the 1999-2006 Period

Abstract

Introduction: Cervical cancer is the fourth leading cause of mortality among Brazilian women. Objective: To describe the profile of mortality from cervical cancer in women living in the city of Rio de Janeiro during the period 1999- 2006. Method: Data were extracted from the Mortality Information System. Included were records that had CID-10 related to cervical cancer, body of the uterus, and uterus unspecified part, and Rio de Janeiro as city of residence. Redistribution of deaths classified as uterus unspecified part, body of the uterus and cervical cancer was performed according to the proportion of records originally certified for each category of death, year of occurrence and age group. Results: During the study period there were 2,752 deaths, of which 56.5% were due to cervical, 20.0% to body of the uterus and 23.5% for uterus unspecified part cancer. After redistribution of deaths, the mortality rate for body of the uterus and cervical cancer were respectively 6.27 per 100,000 and 2.12 per 100,000. The highest mortality rates for cervical cancer were observed in either black or mixed women, aged 50-70 years, single, and who lived in the poorest parts of town. Conclusion: The findings suggest the need of new strategies in the scope of the public health politics, which contemplate greater number of women in the secondary prevention actions, having in view the high mortality rate by this neoplasm in the period.