Evolution of uterine cervical cancer mortality from 1979 to 1998 in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

A decrease in uterine cervical cancer (CC) mortality has been observed in developed countries. However, mortality data in Brazil suggest that CC is one of the most frequent causes of cancer death in women; it is the fourth cause of death from cancer in women in Rio Grande Sul State. A time-trend ecological study was performed to analyze CC mortality trends in Rio Grande do Sul from 1979 to 1998. Data were collected from the Mortality Information System, Brazilian Ministry of Health (DATASUS). Standardized mortality ratios were calculated and linear regression was used for time-trend analysis. The impact of cervical cancer death on life expectancy was also estimated for the study population using potential years of life lost (PYLL). Standardized mortality ratios during the study period revealed a positive linear trend of 0.17, and the mean annual mortality rate was 7.58/100,000. Cervical cancer accounted for 21.9 +/- 1.33 PYLL during the period. In conclusion, although CC is a preventable and curable disease, an increase is observed in mortality from this cause in Rio Grande do Sul State, which may suggest failure in screening programs for cervical cancer.