Stomach cancer burden in China: Epidemiology and prevention

Abstract

In 2020, stomach cancer was the fifth most commonly diagnosed cancer and the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Due to the relatively huge population base and the poor survival rate, stomach cancer is still a threat in China, and accounts for nearly half of the cases worldwide. Fortunately, in China, the incidence and mortality rates of stomach cancer presented a declining trend owing to the change of individual life styles and the persistent efforts to prevent stomach cancer from the governments at all levels. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection, poor eating habits, smoking, history of gastrointestinal disorders, and family history of stomach cancer are the main risk factors for stomach cancer in China. As a result, by taking risk factors for stomach cancer into account, specific preventive measures, such as eradicating H. pylori and implementing stomach cancer screening projects, should be taken to better prevent and decrease the burden of stomach cancer.

Keywords: China; Stomach cancer; burden; prevention; risk factors.

Figure 1

Age-specific incidence and mortality rates (per 100,000) for stomach cancer by region and sex in China in 2017. (A,B) Age-specific incidence rates in all region, urban and rural (A) and in both, male and female (B); (C,D) Age-specific mortality rates in all region, urban and rural (C) and in both, male and female (D). Data were extracted from the cancer registry annual report 2020 (7).