Gastric Cancer Epidemiology: Current Trend and Future Direction

Abstract

Gastric cancer (GC) is a significant global public health problem. It is the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality despite its decline in incidence since the past five decades. The incidence of GC varies between regions, and this heterogeneity is attributed to multi-factors, including infectious, environmental, and genetic traits. Most of the GC cases are linked to Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection. Understanding the etiology, epidemiology, and risk factors of GC is necessary for the prevention and targeted treatment of the disease. In this study, we synthesized published studies, including data from the “International Agency for Research on Cancer GLOBOCAN” to narratively provide an updated overview of the recent global trends, etiology, known risk factors, pathogenesis, hallmarks, treatment, and prevention of GC. One area that significantly advanced GC research was understanding the mechanisms by which H. pylori colonizes humans and mediates physiological, microbiological, immune, and histologic features of the gut. However, there are still gaps present in understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the initiation and progression of GC.