The number of cancer deaths is rising in France. This increase is due to a combination of population growth, changes in the age structure of the population, and changes in the risk of dying from cancer. The role of each of these factors varies over time, but also by location. Applying a demographic decomposition method allows us to analyze changes in the local distribution of cancer-related deaths. This analysis covers the period from 1970 to 2004. It reveals the unequal contribution of population aging to the increase in cancer deaths, as well as the very different rates of change in the risk of dying from cancer across regions. (R.A)