In Florence between 1985 and 1987 two hundred twenty eight women deceased for uterine cancer (ICD-9 code 179, 180, 182); for 79.4% of these the diagnosis reported on the death certificate was "unspecified" cancer of the uterus. Death certificates were cross-checked with the Tuscany Cancer Registry files, with clinical records and with other sanitary archives with the aim of identifying the specific cancer site (cervix/corpus). All deaths before the age 45 were attributed to cervical cancer, but these only represented 6.6% of all subjects deceased for this neoplasia. Age adjusted mortality rates for cervical cancer (0-64 and 0-74 years) were then estimated; in Florence these are low compared to other European and Italian areas, while those from corpus uteri are ranked in an intermediate position. These data are consistent with the incidence rates as given by the Cancer Registry, and may be associated with the existence of a population screening for cervical cancer in the area, which exists since 1970, addressed to women aged 18-60 with a compliance of approximately 50%.