CERVICAL-CANCER MORTALITY IN BELGIUM, 1955-1989 - A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY

This study describes trends in cervical cancer mortality among women i n Belgium from 1954 to 1989. Data are analysed by means of the standar dised mortality rate, age-and cohort-specific mortality rates and stan dardised cohort mortality ratios. The age-standardised mortality rate decreased progressively from 6.3/100 000 women-years in the first peri od (1955-1959) to 3.8/100 000 in 1985-1989, indicating a decline of 39 .7% over the seven quinquennial periods. A decrease was observed in al most all age groups between 30 and 69 years. In the last 15 years, no further decline, but even a discrete increase, occurred for the age ca tegories younger than 50 years. The successive cohorts born between 19 15 and 1939 expressed a continuing lower risk of cervical cancer morta lity. This trend was not observed for the most recent generations, for whom even a slight increase of the standardised cohort mortality rati o could be distinguished. (C) 1997 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.