Reporting of cancer of the lung, liver and uterus

Copies of death certificates were obtained in a large epidemiologic study carried out in 25 states. When cancer was mentioned on a certificate, inquiry was made of the physician concerning primary site of cancer and basis of diagnosis. Information from the physician indicated that death certificate reporting of primary cancer of the lung is fairly reliable but that this disease may be somewhat under-reported as a cause of death. The authors conclude that death certificates are unreliable as a source of information on deaths from primary cancer of the liver. On death certificates uterine cancer often is unspecified as to cervix or corpus. In about 67% of these cases cancer arose in the cervix uteri and in about 33% it arose in the corpus uteri.