Stomach cancer statistics - Key Facts

• In 2006, more than 7,700 people were diagnosed with stomach cancer in the UK.
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• Stomach cancer is the seventh most common cancer in men in the UK with around 5,000 new cases each year.
• Stomach cancer is the fourteenth most common cancer in women in the UK with more than 2,700 new cases each year.
• 95% of new cases of stomach cancer are in people aged 50 and over.
• Stomach cancer incidence rates in Britain have more than halved since the 1970s.
• Worldwide, more than 900,000 people were diagnosed with stomach cancer in 2002.
• The highest rates of stomach cancer in the world are in Eastern Asia, and the lowest are in Western and Northern Africa.
• In 2006 there were around 86,000 new cases of stomach cancer diagnosed in the European Union.

Read more in-depth UK stomach cancer incidence statistics.

• Over the last 25 years five-year relative survival rates for stomach cancer have tripled in Britain, but are still low at around 15%.

Read more in-depth stomach cancer survival statistics.

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• Each year more than 5,200 people die from stomach cancer in the UK.
• Stomach cancer is the seventh most common cause of cancer death and accounts for around 3% of all cancer deaths.
• Stomach cancer mortality rates in the UK have fallen by around 70% over the last 30 years.

Read more in-depth stomach cancer mortality statistics.

• Helicobacter pylori, a bacterial infection of the lining of the stomach, is the major cause of stomach cancer. Most cases of stomach cancer are associated with the presence of H. pylori in the stomach.
• Better living conditions with less overcrowding have led to a decrease in the prevalence of H pylori infection.
• It has been estimated that about 1 in 5 stomach cancers in Europe are caused by smoking, with a higher proportion in men (22%) than women (14%).
• Fruit and vegetables have a protective effect against stomach cancer.
• People consuming high amounts of salt have an increased risk of stomach cancer.
• Having a parent or sibling diagnosed with a stomach cancer increases risk of stomach cancer.

Read more in-depth stomach cancer risk factors.

*age-standardised to the European population ** period estimates