[Cancer mortality trends in Brazilian state capitals, 1980-2004].
OBJECTIVE
Cancer mortality rates began to decline in developed countries in the 1990s, but their behavior in developing countries is less well-known. An earlier study on cancer mortality in Brazil showed a declining mortality trend for cancer as a whole. however the quality of data results raised some criticism t. The population of state capitals comprises about a quarter of the total Brazilian population and for these cities mortality data available have a better quality than for the entire country, enabling analyses of trends in cancer rates based on more accurate data.


METHODS
Mortality and population data were collected from government databases (SIM/DATASUS and IBGE, respectively). Age-adjusted (world standard) and age-specific mortality rates were calculated for both genders . Linear regression was used to investigate changes in trends.


RESULTS
For all cancers as a whole mortality rates declined throughout the study period for both men and women (-4.6% and -10.5%, respectively). For both genders , the cancer that decreased most was stomach cancer. Among men, lung cancer death rates presented a slight reduction, while prostate cancer rates increased. Among women, "uterus, site unspecified' presented a downward trend, while lung cancer rates increased. The trend for breast cancer remained stable, and cervix uterus rates showed a slight increase at the end of the period.


CONCLUSIONS
As already seen in developed countries, all cancer mortality rates tended to decline in Brazilian state capitals over the period 1980-2004, a tendency largely due to a decline in stomach cancer death rates for both genders.
Fonseca
Luiz Augusto Marcondes
LA
Departamento de Medicina Preventiva, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP. laugusto@preventiva.fm.usp.br
Eluf-Neto
José
J
Wunsch Filho
Victor
V
D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality*; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013997:Time Factors; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data