Recent patterns in gastric cancer: a global overview

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Epidemiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Gastric cancer was a leading cause of cancer death globally until the mid-1990s.
• While declining in many regions, it remains prevalent in specific areas like Eastern Europe, East Asia, and parts of South America.
• Significant regional variations in incidence and mortality exist.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze global gastric cancer mortality trends from 1980 to 2005.
• To provide updated site-specific incidence rates from 51 selected registries.
• To identify regional differences in gastric cancer mortality decline.

Main Methods:

• Joinpoint regression analysis was employed to analyze mortality data.
• Data spanned from 1980 to 2005.
• Site-specific incidence rates from 51 global registries were incorporated.

Main Results:

• Most major European countries experienced an annual percent change (APC) of approximately -3% to -4% in mortality rates.
• Similar declines were observed in the Republic of Korea, Australia, USA, Japan, Ukraine, and the Russian Federation.
• Latin America showed a less marked but consistent decline, with APCs around -1.6% to -2.6%.

Conclusions:

• Steady downward trends in gastric cancer mortality persist globally.
• Declines are evident even in middle-aged populations.
• Further reductions in gastric cancer mortality are anticipated in the near future.