OBJECTIVETo analyze the cervical cancer mortality and distribution profiles by areas and population in 2004 - 2005 and the changes in the last 30 years.

METHODSThe demographic information and cervical cancer death data came from the Third National Retrospective Sampling Survey of Death Causes which including 158 sampling areas (including 61 cities and 97 villages; 52 in the east region, 49 in the middle region and 57 in the west region) covered 31 province-level regions in the interior of China by multiple stage stratified clustering sampling. The total number of the samples were 142 660 482 person years (72 970 241 person years in male and 69 690 241 person years in female). The crude and age-specific death rate was calculated. The standardized death rate was calculated by using 5 years interval from the census data of 2000. In addition, the mortality data was compared with the two previous national death surveys in 1970's and 1990's, respectively.

RESULTSIn the sampling region of the third retrospective death causes survey from 2004 to 2005, the crude death rate of cervical cancer was 2.86/100 000 (1995/69 690 241), which accounting for 2.86% (1995/69 667) and ranking 9th of all cancer death causes in female population. The crude death rates of cervical cancer were 2.88/100 000 (1326/46 091 419) and 2.83/100 000 (669/23 598 822) for rural areas and urban areas, respectively, the Chinese population adjusted death rates of rural and urban areas were 2.01/100 000 and 1.67/100 000, respectively. The standardized death rates of cervical cancer in 1973 - 1975 and 1990 - 1992 were 11.10/100 000 and 3.25/100 000, respectively, which accounting for 17.91% and 4.86%, respectively; in 2004 - 2005, the crude death rates increased by age, rose remarkably from the age of 40 and arrived the peak of 20.83/100 000 (82/393 624) at the age of 85. The mortality among 35 - 44 year-old group was higher than those in 1990's. The crude death rates of the middle, west and east areas were 3.41/100 000 (827/24 225 738), 3.25/100 000 (636/19 563 647) and 2.05/100 000 (532/25 900 856), respectively, the Chinese population adjusted death rates of the middle and west areas were about twice that of the east (2.35/100 000 in the middle, 2.38/100 000 in the west, and 1.19/100 000 in the east).

CONCLUSIONThe mortality of cervical cancer was higher in rural areas than that in urban, as well as higher in the middle and west areas than that in east area in the interior of China in 2004 - 2005. Younger trend of cervical cancer death was observed; the mortality of cervical cancer and constituent ratio in the female tumor death continued to decline compared to those in 1973 - 1975 and 1990 - 1992.