[Nonsense--and sense?--in cause-of-death statistics. A validation study to test cancer mortality figures]

Death certificates for all clinics of the University of Heidelberg are centrally filled in at the University Pathology Institute. The certificate which accompanies the body gives the information for the official death certificate. There were 6263 autopsies between 1974 and 1978. The entry in the death certificate was compared with the complete morbid-anatomical diagnosis. Sensitivity and positive correctness showed many errors, the proportion of false-negative diagnoses being nearly three times higher than false-positive ones.