Cancer Stat Facts: Stomach Cancer

At a Glance

Rate of New Cases and Deaths per 100,000: The rate of new cases of stomach cancer was 7.0 per 100,000 men and women per year. The death rate was 2.7 per 100,000 men and women per year. These rates are age-adjusted and based on 2017–2021 cases and 2018–2022 deaths.

Lifetime Risk of Developing Cancer: Approximately 0.8 percent of men and women will be diagnosed with stomach cancer at some point during their lifetime, based on 2018–2021 data, excluding 2020 due to COVID.

Prevalence of This Cancer: In 2021, there were an estimated 130,263 people living with stomach cancer in the United States.

How Many People Survive 5 Years Or More after Being Diagnosed with Stomach Cancer?

Relative survival is an estimate of the percentage of patients who would be expected to survive the effects of their cancer. It excludes the risk of dying from other causes. Because survival statistics are based on large groups of people, they cannot be used to predict exactly what will happen to an individual patient. No two patients are entirely alike, and treatment and responses to treatment can vary greatly.

5-Year
Relative Survival

36.4%

Based on data from SEER 22 (Excluding IL/MA) 2014–2020. Gray figures represent those who have died from stomach cancer. Green figures represent those who have survived 5 years or more.

Survival by Stage

Cancer stage at diagnosis, which refers to extent of a cancer in the body, determines treatment options and has a strong influence on the length of survival. In general, if the cancer is found only in the part of the body where it started it is localized (sometimes referred to as stage 1). If it has spread to a different part of the body, the stage is regional or distant. The earlier stomach cancer is caught, the better chance a person has of surviving five years after being diagnosed. For stomach cancer, 29.0% are diagnosed at the local stage. The 5-year relative survival for localized stomach cancer is 75.4%.

How Common Is This Cancer?

Compared to other cancers, stomach cancer is relatively rare.

Rank	Common Types of Cancer	Estimated New Cases 2024	Estimated Deaths 2024
1.	Breast Cancer (Female)	310,720	42,250
2.	Prostate Cancer	299,010	35,250
3.	Lung and Bronchus Cancer	234,580	125,070
4.	Colorectal Cancer	152,810	53,010
5.	Melanoma of the Skin	100,640	8,290
6.	Bladder Cancer	83,190	16,840
7.	Kidney and Renal Pelvis Cancer	81,610	14,390
8.	Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma	80,620	20,140
9.	Uterine Cancer	67,880	13,250
10.	Pancreatic Cancer	66,440	51,750
	-	-	-
15.	Stomach Cancer	26,890	10,880

Stomach cancer represents 1.3% of all new cancer cases in the U.S.

1.3%

In 2024, it is estimated that there will be 26,890 new cases of stomach cancer and an estimated 10,880 people will die of this disease.

Who Gets This Cancer?

Stomach cancer is more common in men than women and among other races and ethnicities than non-Hispanic Whites. Age, diet and stomach disease, including infection with Helicobacter pylori can affect the risk of developing stomach cancer. The rate of new cases of stomach cancer was 7.0 per 100,000 men and women per year based on 2017–2021 cases, age-adjusted.

Rate of New Cases per 100,000 Persons by Race/Ethnicity & Sex: Stomach Cancer

Males

All Races	9.1
Hispanic	11.9
Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native	14.6
Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander	12.1
Non-Hispanic Black	13.2
Non-Hispanic White	7.5

Females

All Races	5.4
Hispanic	8.4
Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native	8.3
Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander	6.9
Non-Hispanic Black	8.0
Non-Hispanic White	3.7

• All Races
• Hispanic
• Non-Hispanic American Indian/
  Alaska Native
• Non-Hispanic Asian /
  Pacific Islander
• Non-Hispanic Black
• Non-Hispanic White

SEER 22 2017–2021, Age-Adjusted

Who Dies From This Cancer?

For stomach cancer, death rates increase with age. The death rate was 2.7 per 100,000 men and women per year based on 2018–2022 deaths, age-adjusted.

Death Rate per 100,000 Persons by Race/Ethnicity & Sex: Stomach Cancer

Males

All Races	3.6
Hispanic	5.7
Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native	7.2
Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander	5.4
Non-Hispanic Black	6.6
Non-Hispanic White	2.8

Females

All Races	2.0
Hispanic	3.8
Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native	4.0
Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander	3.3
Non-Hispanic Black	3.3
Non-Hispanic White	1.4

• All Races
• Hispanic
• Non-Hispanic American Indian/
  Alaska Native
• Non-Hispanic Asian /
  Pacific Islander
• Non-Hispanic Black
• Non-Hispanic White

U.S. 2018–2022, Age-Adjusted

Changes Over Time

Keeping track of new cases, deaths, and survival over time (trends) can help scientists understand whether progress is being made and where additional research is needed to address challenges, such as improving screening or finding better treatments.

Using statistical models for analysis, age-adjusted rates for new stomach cancer cases have been stable over 2012–2021. Age-adjusted death rates have been falling on average 2.1% each year over 2013–2022. 5-year relative survival trends are shown below.

Cancer and the Stomach

Figure: Anatomy of the Digestive System

Figure: Gastrointestinal (digestive) system anatomy; shows esophagus, liver, stomach, large intestine, and small intestine.

The wall of the stomach is made up of 3 layers of tissue: the mucosal (innermost) layer, the muscularis (middle) layer, and the serosal (outermost) layer. Gastric cancer begins in the cells lining the mucosal layer and spreads through the outer layers as it grows.

Stromal tumors of the stomach begin in supporting connective tissue and are treated differently from gastric cancer. See the PDQ summary on Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors Treatment for more information.

Additional Information

• Learn more about stomach cancer

More Information

Here are some resources for learning more about stomach cancer.

• More about risk factors for stomach cancer
• More about symptoms and diagnosis of stomach cancer
• More about treatment options for stomach cancer
• More about clinical trials
• More about cancer prevention

References

All statistics in this report are based on statistics from SEER and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics. Most can be found within SEER*Explorer.

Suggested Citation

All material in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission; citation as to source, however, is appreciated.

SEER Cancer Stat Facts: Stomach Cancer. National Cancer Institute. Bethesda, MD, https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/stomach.html