Abstract
We examined changes in the number of gastric cancer cases and the age at tumor development during the 19 years from 1994 to 2012. During this 19-year period, the number of gastric cancer cases decreased by half, and the age at early-stage gastric cancer development increased by 10 years. Among all patients with gastric cancer, there were only a few less than 50 years of age (3.6%), and the largest age group was comprised of patients in their 70s. Overall, 84% of patients with gastric cancer were at least 60 years old. For efficient gastric cancer screening, raising the age for the start of screening and strategies for people 60 years of age or older appear to be urgent tasks.
