The United States, Canada, Colombia, Sweden, United Kingdom, Denmark, Germany, India and many other countries experience increased exposure to stomach cancer.
Stomach cancer, also called gastric cancer, develops from an initially normal parietal cell (cell in the wall of the stomach) that multiplies out of control to form a mass called a malignant tumor. It is a cancer that progresses slowly and that is rarely seen before the age of 50. But the situation could change, since according to a recent study published in the journal JAMA “An increased incidence of gastric cancer has been observed in people under 40 years of age in a significant number of countries”.
Prevention to review
According to the researchers, a total of 1,033,701 new cases of gastric cancer and 782,685 related deaths were detected in 2018. The prognosis for this cancer is “grim” since most cases are already metastatic at the time of diagnosis. “These results suggest that gastric cancer prevention should become a priority in clinical guidelines and policy programs to improve associated morbidity and mortality, especially in younger populations ”.
However, researchers note a continued decrease in gastric cancer in Europe and around the world. The decrease in smoking and the reduced salt intake are factors that help reduce the incidence of stomach cancer. “Future studies are needed to investigate the reasons for the increased incidence of stomach cancer in the younger population”, the scientists conclude.
