How the Fight against Stomach Cancer can be won: Decline in Incidence of Gastric Cancer in Europe: A Review of Epidemiologic Trends, Contributing Factors and Recent Treatment Standards
Author(s): Christian Sebesta, Christian Günther Sebesta, Marie Christine Sebesta, Martin Köcher, Kirsten Müllner- Ammer, Jakob Zottl
Gastric cancer (GC) incidence and mortality rates have notably declined across Europe, indicating that GC may become a rarer disease in the future. Between 1988 and 2012, GC incidence rates decreased by 33.2% in Europe overall, with significant declines observed in Central Europe (48.38%), Western Europe (49.28%), and Southern Europe (39.5%). Similarly, age-standardized rates of GC incidence and mortality have decreased by up to 48% and 54.4%, respectively, from 1990 to 2019 in various European regions. This decline is attributed to multifactorial causes including improvements in GC treatment, notably perioperative chemotherapy and chemoradiotherapy, and increased H. pylori eradication rates due to better sanitation and socioeconomic conditions. Additionally, dietary changes, reductions in salt intake, and effective tobacco control policies have contributed to the lower GC rates. Europe’s progress in food production and preservation, along with these health policy efforts, combined with widely standardized and guideline-based H. pylori elimination strategies, reflects a comprehensive approach to mitigating GC risk.