Key Statistics About Stomach Cancer

Stomach (or gastric) cancer accounts for approximately 1.5% of all new cancers diagnosed annually in the United States. According to the American Cancer Society, roughly 26,500 new cases of gastric cancer (15,930 in men and 10,570 in women) were estimated in the U.S. in 2023. Meanwhile, about 11,130 deaths will occur from this type of cancer (6,690 men and 4,440 women).

The average American male’s risk of developing gastric cancer is higher (about 1 in 96) compared to a female’s (about 1 in 152). However, bear in mind that many other risk factors can affect each person’s gastric cancer risk, such as age, weight and lifestyle.

The number of new gastric cancers in the U.S. has been declining by approximately 1.5% each year for the past 10 years. This can be attributed to two main reasons:

• The increased usage of refrigeration for storing food. This has led to the decreased consumption of salt-preserved and smoked foods, both of which are risk factors for gastric cancer.
• The fall in the number of people infected with Helicobacter pylori in the U.S. An infection with this bacteria is one of the strongest known risk factors for gastric cancer.

While gastric cancer is no longer as common as it used to be in the U.S., it remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths across the globe.

Some risk factors associated with gastric cancer include alcohol use, smoking and infection with the infamous Helicobacter pylori bacterium. If you have multiple risk factors, it could mean that you have a higher likelihood of developing the disease in the future. In this case, it is advised that you undergo regular screening, which can be helpful in detecting gastric cancer at an early and treatable stage. The main test that doctors use to screen for (and detect) gastric cancer in high-risk populations is an upper endoscopy.

If you or a loved one has recently been diagnosed with gastric cancer, you may wonder how serious the condition is and how likely you are to survive. Another set of statistics you can look at is the survival rates for gastric cancer.