[Mortality trends from uterine cervical cancer in the city of São Paulo from 1980 to 1999].

Uterine cervical cancer shows a higher incidence in some Brazilian cities. It is a common cause of death in women from developing countries, despite the longstanding availability of an effective screening test, the Pap smear. This study aimed to evaluate the temporal trends of crude, age-adjusted, and age-specific mortality rates from cervical cancer, endometrial cancer, and cancer of the uterus not otherwise specified (NOS) in the city of São Paulo from 1980 to 1999. Results showed a slight reduction in cervical cancer rates, a decrease in NOS uterine cancer rates, and an increase in endometrial cancer mortality rates. The fall in mortality from NOS uterine cancer indicates an improvement in diagnostic accuracy and quality of information on death certificates and may point to an increase in coverage of cervical cancer screening using the Pap smear.