Divergent trends in gastric cancer incidence by sex and age in Spain (1990-2019).

Abstract

Objective: to investigate trends in gastric cancer (GC) incidence in Spain from 1990 to 2019, analyzing variations by sex and age.

Method: GC incidence data from the Global Burden of Disease database and population data from the Spanish National Institute of Statistics were used to calculate age-specific and age-standardized incidence rates (ASIR) with the European population as the reference. Temporal trends by sex and age groups were analyzed using joinpoint regression.

Results: while the total number of cases increased slightly, ASIR showed a consistent annual decrease of 1.8 % for both men and women. Both sexes experienced this increase in total cases (women: 4,023 to 4,359; men: 6,243 to 6,591). Men consistently had a higher GC burden compared to women (approximately 2.2:1 ratio). Younger adults (< 35 years) of both sexes showed significant decreases in ASIR. However, the joinpoint analysis revealed a recent increase in young men (25-34 years) during the period 2014-2019. Adults aged 35-64 showed a decrease in ASIR for both sexes, with a slightly steeper decline in men. Adults over 65 had a similar decrease in ASIR for both sexes, but the joinpoint analysis suggests different patterns within this age group.

Conclusion: our study revealed a decline in overall age-adjusted GC incidence in Spain. However, the recent rise observed in young men warrants further investigation to understand potential risk factors in this specific population group.