Epidemiology and Prognosis of Gastric Cancer

Gastric cancer remains a major global health challenge, ranking among the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Its incidence varies markedly by region, with the highest rates reported in East Asia, Eastern Europe and parts of Latin America, while declines have been observed in many Western countries owing to improved diet, screening and Helicobacter pylori eradication. Key risk factors include chronic infection with H. pylori, dietary habits such as high salt intake, tobacco use and genetic predispositions. Presentation is often late, and prognosis is heavily influenced by stage at diagnosis, depth of tumour invasion, nodal involvement and anatomical location within the stomach. Histological subtypes, notably diffuse versus intestinal-type adenocarcinomas, exhibit distinct biological behaviours and survival outcomes. Despite advances in endoscopic screening and multimodal treatment, five-year survival rates remain below 30 per cent globally, underscoring the need for enhanced early detection, risk stratification and targeted therapies.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Integrative proteogenomic analyses of adenocarcinomas at the oesophagogastric junction have identified three proteomic subtypes with distinct molecular signatures, clinical courses and metastatic patterns. Over two hundred potential drug targets were revealed, and the F-box protein FBXO44 was shown to promote tumour progression in experimental models, suggesting new routes for precision treatment. Seminal clinicopathological comparisons of early gastric carcinoma located proximally or distally within the stomach have demonstrated that proximal lesions tend to invade more deeply but present with fewer lymph node metastases than distal counterparts, with corresponding impacts on survival and endoscopic resectability decisions.

Epidemiology and Prognosis of Gastric Cancer publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in epidemiology and prognosis of gastric cancer across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Epidemiology: The study of the distribution, determinants and control of diseases within populations.

Prognosis: An assessment of the likely course and outcome of a disease, often expressed as survival rates.

Adenocarcinoma: A malignant tumour originating from glandular epithelial cells, commonly found in the stomach lining.

Proteogenomics: An interdisciplinary approach combining proteomic and genomic data to characterise disease subtypes and identify therapeutic targets.

Metabolomics: The comprehensive analysis of metabolites within a biological system to elucidate disease-related metabolic alterations.

Neural network: A computational model inspired by biological brains, used to recognise complex patterns and make predictive analyses.

References

1. Integrative proteomic characterization of adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junction. Nature Communications (2023).
2. Differences in Clinicopathology of Early Gastric Carcinoma between Proximal and Distal Location in 438 Chinese Patients. Scientific Reports (2015).
3. Abnormal arginine synthesis confers worse prognosis in patients with middle third gastric cancer. Cancer Cell International (2024).
4. Survival risk prediction of gastric cardia cancer-based on a dynamic modular neural network. Systems Science & Control Engineering (2024).
5. Comparison of the overall survival of proximal and distal gastric cancer after gastrectomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. World Journal of Surgical Oncology (2021).