Development of population-based cancer mortality registration in the North of Viet Nam.

Background: Regional cancer distributions provide useful pointers to potential environmental risk factors. Cancer death registration data are also basic for checking completeness of population-based registration of cancer incidence. The aim of the present project was to develop population-based cancer mortality registration in various regions in the North of Viet Nam.

Methods: Cancer data were accessed from the database of population-routine-based death registration performed by medical workers at commune health stations based on the guidelines of the Ministry of Health. All deaths occurring in the communities were registered and the registration process was monthly reviewed for each fatal case regarding the name, age, sex, address, occupation, date-place-cause of death, and information concerning to pre-death medical care during the study period from 1999 to 2005. The list of deaths and residents of the study population were carefully cross-checked with other information sources to avoid under or over registration. The study sites were Red River Delta areas and a high-mountain area. The world population structure was used to estimate age-standardized cancer mortality rates per 100,000 (ASR).

Results: During 4,330,620 person-years estimated during 1999 to 2005, 21,108 deaths were registered. The crude death rate from all causes was 487.4/100,000. Among them, 4,244 cancers in all sites (2,835 in males and 1,409 in females) were registered, giving mortality rates/100,000 of 134.6 and 63.3 (crude), and 155.7 and 54.3 (ASR), for males and females, respectively. The rate for the high-mountain area was only half (45.5) those in the Red River Delta (95.2-117.4). Male to female ratios were ranked from 2.2 to 3.1. Cancer accounted for about 20% of all causes of death.

Conclusions: The present findings suggest that in Viet Nam, development of reliable population-based cancer mortality registration is feasible and practical.