ABSTRACT
Gastric cancer is the second most common cancer in the world, with 10 000 new cases diagnosed every year in the UK 1 . In the UK, it is the fifth most common cancer in males and the eighth most common cancer in females 2 . The male to female ratio is 1.8 : 1 2 . The age standardized incidence of gastric adenocarcinoma in the UK is 18.9 per 100 000 for men and 7.3 per 100 000 for women 3 . This represents a 41% and 51% reduction from 1971 to 1998, respectively 3 . Despite these trends, gastric cancer remains a more common diagnosis than esophageal cancer. Risk factors include advanced age, black or Hispanic ethnicity and certain geographic regions (Japan, China, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and South/Central America).
