Cancer mortality in Rio de Janeiro.

Cancer mortality data for 1979-81 are presented for the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The population in 1980 was over 11 million, and more than 30,000 deaths (11% of the total) were certified as being due to cancer during the 3-year period. Death certification was fairly complete, and for two-thirds there was complementary medical evidence of the certified cause of death. Cancers of the stomach, lung and female breast accounted for one-third of all cancers, and cancers of the oesophagus and liver ranked 4th and 5th, respectively, among both sexes combined. Lung cancer mortality was higher in both sexes (ASR 27.9 in males, 6.1 in females) than elsewhere in Brazil. Mortality from liver cancer (ASR 5.9 in males, 4.5 in females) was more than 8 times higher than in the city of São Paulo. Cervix cancer mortality was only one-third of that of Fortaleza, a rural state. The results confirm large regional differences in the pattern of cancer mortality within Brazil.