Statistics

In 2008, an estimated 21,500 adults (13,190 men and 8,310 women) in the United States will be diagnosed with stomach cancer. It is estimated that 10,880 deaths (6,450 men and 4,430 women) from this disease will occur this year. Most people diagnosed with stomach cancer are in their 60s and 70s.

The five-year relative survival rate (percentage of patients who survive at least five years after the cancer is detected, excluding those who die from other diseases) of patients with stomach cancer is about 24%. This statistic reflects the fact that most cases of stomach cancer are diagnosed when the cancer has already spread to other parts of the body. If stomach cancer is found before it has spread, the five-year relative survival rate is about 61%.

Cancer survival statistics should be interpreted with caution. These estimates are based on data from thousands of cases of this type of cancer in the United States each year, but the actual risk for a particular individual may differ. It is not possible to tell a person how long he or she will live with stomach cancer. Because the survival statistics are measured in five-year (or sometimes one-year) intervals, they may not represent advances made in the treatment or diagnosis of this cancer.

The incidence of stomach cancer varies in different parts of the world. Although it is decreasing in the Western world, it is still one of the most common cancer types worldwide.

Statistics adapted from the American Cancer Society's publication, Cancer Facts & Figures 2008.