Introduction: Cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide, with 8.2 million deaths in 2012: 4.7 million (57%) male deaths and 3.5 million (43%) female deaths. In Mexico, it ranks second as a cause of death (2007). Objective: To describe the most common types of cancers, as well as their trends over the 1990---2012 period. Methods: Mortality rates were standardised (ASMR) by age and gender. The annual percent change (APC) was calculated using Poisson regression model and by means of analysing time trends and variability on a regional level. The Years of Potential Life Lost (YPLL) were calculated. Results: ASMR increased from 9.7 to 12.2, from 1990 to 2012. In men, the most common types of cancer were: prostate, lung and stomach (ASMR 10.4, 8.0 and 5.8, respectively); APC was of 2.9, −0.6 and −0.1, and in women: breast (ASMR 9.8 and APC 2.7), cervical (ASMR between 12.6 and 6.6 and APC −2.0) and liver (ASMR 4.9, APC 1.3). The highest ASMR was observed in the North of Mexico, mainly for lung, prostate, breast, colon, ovarian and pancreatic cancer. Discussion: In Mexico, cancer is a major public health problem. Although mortality is an indicator of the access and effectiveness of medical care, it is necessary to create population-based cancer registries to have basic information in the planning and quality assessment of medical services such as prevention, early diagnosis and treatment, as well as to develop strategies to allocate resources and necessities to fulfil the population's demand for medical assistance.