The global, regional and national burden of stomach cancer and its attributable risk factors from 1990 to 2019

Abstract

We aimed to estimate the incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) of stomach cancer at the global, regional, and national levels. Stomach cancer resulted in 1.3 million (1.2–1.4 million) incident cases, 9.5 hundred thousand (8.7–10.4 hundred thousand) deaths, and 22.2 million (20.3–24.1 million) DALYs in 2019. The age-standardized incidence rate, death rate and DALY rate were 15.6 (14.1–17.2), 11.9 (10.8–12.8), and 268.4 (245.5–290.6) per 100,000 person-years, respectively. Between 1990 and 2019, the global age-standardized incidence rate, death rate, and DALY rate decreased by − 30.5% (− 36.7 to − 22.9), − 41.9% (− 47.2 to − 36.3), and − 45.6% (− 50.8 to − 39.8), respectively. In 2019, most of the global numbers of incidence, death and DALYs were higher among males than females. A considerable burden of stomach cancer was attributable to smoking and a high-sodium diet. Although the global age-standardized incidence and death rates have decreased, continued growth in absolute numbers in some regions, especially in East Asia, poses a major global public health challenge. To address this, public health responses should be tailored to fit each country’s unique situation. Primary and secondary prevention strategies with increased effectiveness are required to reduce the incidence and mortality of stomach cancer, particularly in populations with a high disease burden.