Parvin Khalili - Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health
Mohsen Rezaeian - Social Determinants of Health Research Centre,
Abdolhalim Rajabi - Department of Community Medicine,
Ali Gholami - Department of Public Health, School of Public Health,
Mahin Saber - Department of Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences,Kerman, Iran
Ahmad Jamalizadeh - Department of Health, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran
Mina Hosseini - Department of Health, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran
Reza Vazirinejad - Social Determinants of Health Research Centre, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran

Background: In Iran, cancer kills ۳۰,۰۰۰ people, annually. The epidemiology of cancer is gradually changing as a result of the demographic and epidemiological transition in Iran. This study aimed at presenting a geographical distribution of cancer mortality in Southeast area of Iran, and comparing proportional mortality and age-adjusted mortality rates. Methods: The present study was a descriptive study that was performed on mortality data recorded in the Center for Statistics Management of Health Ministry at Kerman and Rafsanjan Universities of Medical Sciences in the period ۲۰۱۲-۲۰۱۶. This information was used to determine the age-standardized mortality rate per ۱۰۰,۰۰۰ people and proportional mortality for each district in Kerman Province. Results: The proportional mortality for all cancers in Kerman and Rafsanjan Universities were ۱۱.۵۴% and ۱۸%, respectively. Standardized mortality rates for all cancers in males in Kerman and Rafsanjan universities were also ۸۱.۹ and ۸۱.۳ per ۱۰۰,۰۰۰, respectively, while for females, it was ۵۷.۳ and ۵۱.۶ per ۱۰۰,۰۰۰ people, respectively. Conclusion: Our results presented a general picture of the mortality due to cancer in one of the widest provinces of the country with more than ۱.۵ million habitants .Standardized mortality rates for all cancers in males and females in Rafsanjan universities was lower than Kerman. In spite of higher proportional mortality in Rafsanjan, the rate of death by cancer in Rafsanjan was lower than Kerman.

Geographical distribution, Proportional mortality, Mortality rate, Cancer, Southeast Iran