Epidemiological Factors in Gastric Cancer Risk Assessment
Summary
Gastric cancer remains a major global health challenge, shaped by a complex interplay of infectious, behavioural, environmental and genetic factors. Helicobacter pylori infection is the principal driver of non-cardia gastric carcinoma, inducing chronic gastritis, atrophy and intestinal metaplasia. Dietary exposures—particularly high salt intake, consumption of processed and salt-preserved foods—and tobacco use further amplify risk, often in synergy with microbial agents. Socio-economic deprivation and regional variation underlie stark differences in incidence and mortality, with East Asia bearing a disproportionate burden. Over recent decades, age-standardised rates have declined in many high-income settings through improved sanitation, refrigeration and eradication programmes, yet absolute case counts continue to rise with global population growth and ageing. Contemporary risk models now integrate serological and molecular biomarkers, lifestyle indices and genetic susceptibility loci to stratify individuals for screening and prevention. Emerging evidence on the broader gastric microbiota suggests additional microbial dysbiosis may modify carcinogenic pathways. A thorough understanding of these epidemiological factors is essential for the development and optimisation of public health strategies, early-detection protocols and resource prioritisation on a global scale.
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Epidemiological Factors in Gastric Cancer Risk Assessment publication trend
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Technical terms
Age-standardised incidence rate (ASIR): Incidence rate adjusted to a standard age structure, allowing comparison across populations.
Disability-adjusted life year (DALY): A metric combining years of life lost and years lived with disability to quantify overall disease burden.
Estimated annual percentage change (EAPC): The average yearly rate of change in age-standardised rates over a specified period.
Joinpoint analysis: A statistical method that identifies points where significant changes in trend occur.
Helicobacter pylori: A bacterium that colonises the stomach lining and is the principal infectious risk factor for gastric cancer.
Gastric microbiota: The community of microorganisms residing in the stomach, beyond H. pylori, that may influence carcinogenesis.
References
- The differences in gastric cancer epidemiological data between SEER and GBD: a joinpoint and age-period-cohort analysis. Journal of Big Data (2024).
- Diet, Gastric Microbiota, and Metabolites in Gastric Tumorigenesis. Research (2025).
- The global, regional, and national burden of stomach cancer in 195 countries, 1990–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease study 2017. The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology (2019).
- Gastric cancer: Epidemiology, risk factors and prevention strategies. Chinese Journal of Cancer Research (2020).
- Temporal trend of gastric cancer burden along with its risk factors in China from 1990 to 2019, and projections until 2030: comparison with Japan, South Korea, and Mongolia. Biomarker Research (2021).
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