Abstract

This is an epidemiological time trend study about mortality due to mouth and pharynx cancer the population of the city of Natal, from 1981 to 1995. The data were collected from death certificats of Natal residents registered in the Mortality Information System of Rio Grande do Norte, from 1981 to 1995, available in CD-ROM, and also from the demographic censi of 1980 and 1991. In order to organize the analisis, the data was divided into consecutive groups of three years (Triennium) and the main variables were sex, age and cancer sites. The results showed that in the first triennium (1981-83), the risks of dying in Natal decreased from 756.93 to 630.96 per 100,000 men and from 528.01 to 417.00 per 100,000 women. Nevertheless, considering the mouth and pharynx cancer, these rates assumed and ascending aspect, raising from 2.60 to 6.66 among men and from 1.55 to 2.08 among the women.The proportional mortality rate (%) caused by malignant neoplasias in the last triennium (1993-95) was 12.4% among men and 16.9% among the women, showing a clear ascending tendency throughout the studied period. The most common anatomical sites, in men and women, with malignant neoplasias of the mouth (not especified) and the average of ages was from 65 to 69 years old.

Key words: mouth neoplasms; oropharynx neoplasms