Background: Recent findings indicate a shift in the epidemiology of non-cardia gastric cancer in the USA. In particular, an uprising trend in incidence rates among non-Hispanic whites aged < 50 years.
Aim: To examine secular trends in the incidence of non-cardia gastric cancer among adults aged < 50 years in the USA by race/ethnicity and stage at diagnosis.
Methods: Age-adjusted incidence rates and trends in adults aged < 50 years and ≥ 50 years were calculated using data from all 50 states in the National Program of Cancer Registries and the SEER program. We used joinpoint regression to compute average annual percent change (AAPC) in cancer incidence rates.
Results: Overall, we found an increasing trend of non-cardia gastric cancer among non-Hispanic whites aged < 50 years between 2001 and 2014 (AAPC = 1.24, 95% CI 0.49, 1.99). However, among non-Hispanic whites aged < 50 years, the rates of localized disease increased (AAPC = 5.28, 95% CI 3.94, 6.64), whereas the rates of distant stage non-cardia gastric cancer remained unchanged (AAPC = 0.68, 95% CI - 0.63, 2.00). Conversely, we found a significant increase in rates of distant stage non-cardia gastric cancer among Hispanics aged < 50 years (AAPC = 1.78, 95% CI 0.66, 2.91). Non-cardia gastric cancer incidence rates decreased over the study period among non-Hispanic whites and Hispanics aged ≥ 50 years.
Conclusion: Given the rapid growth of the young Hispanic population in the USA, preventative strategies for non-cardia gastric cancer cannot neglect this population.
Keywords: Disparities; Epidemiology; Gastric cancer; Hispanics; Incidence.