Statistics About Stomach Cancer

“There has been a decline in stomach cancer in the U.S. over the past 75 years.”

Some people use statistics to try to figure out their chances of getting cancer. People may also use them to try to figure out their chance of being cured of cancer. It is important to keep in mind, however, that statistics show what happens with large groups of people. Because no two people are alike, you can’t use statistics to know or predict what will happen to you.

These are some 2007 statistics from the American Cancer Society about stomach cancer in the United States.

• About 21,000 people will be told they have stomach cancer this year.

• Men get stomach cancer almost twice as often as women do. This year, 13,000 men will be told they have it.

• About 66% of people who have stomach cancer are older than age 65.

• Stomach cancer was once the leading cause of death in the U.S. However, 3 main changes have contributed to a decline in stomach cancer over the past 75 years. They are 1) increased use of refrigeration for food storage (rather than using salting, pickling, and smoking), 2) dietary changes, 3) the use of antibiotics.

• Stomach cancer is more common in certain parts of the world, particularly in less developed countries. It is the 2^nd leading cause of cancer deaths in the world.

• An estimated 11,00 people in the United States will die from stomach cancer this year. Of those, 6,500 will be men and 4,500 will be women.