[Analysis of mortality due to laryngeal cancer in Chile (1994-2004)].
OBJECTIVE
Laryngeal cancer is the second most common respiratory cancer worldwide. In Chile, national registries of cancer incidence do not exist, only mortality statistics are available. The aim of this study is to analyze the trends in mortality rates from laryngeal cancer in Chile, during the period between 1990 and 2004, and its distribution by sex and age.


METHODS
The totalities of the deaths caused by laryngeal cancer were selected from the official mortality databases (1990-2004), and the projections of population elaborated by the National Statistics Institute were used for the calculation of age- and sex-adjusted mortality rates.


RESULTS
In Chile, during the period studied a total of 1842 deaths caused by laryngeal cancer occurred, of which 85.78 % corresponded to men and 14.22 % to women. The crude and adjusted incidence rates were 0.90 and 0.82 per 100 000 inhabitants, respectively. They were greater in men, increased progressively with age, and diminished over time throughout the period studied.


CONCLUSIONS
Laryngeal cancer in Chile presented a constant decline over the period studied. Sex- and age-distributions were similar to international data. A substantial part of this decline could be explained by the increase in mortality from other causes and by therapeutic and diagnostic improvements.
Bogado
Mariana Elisa
ME
Universidad de Chile, Independencia, Santiago, Chile. marianab@mi-mail.cl
Araya
Felipe Sebastián
FS
Alonso
Faustino Tomás
FT
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002677:Chile / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D015996:Survival Rate