Evolving Trends in Patient Demographics and Diagnosis in Gastric Cancer: A Real-World Analysis From US Community Oncology Practices From 2014 to 2024
Author(s)
Lisa Herms, PhD, Saamir Pasha, MPH, Zhaohui Su, PhD, Paul Conkling, MD, Jessica Paulus, ScD.
Ontada, Boston, MA, USA.
Ontada, Boston, MA, USA.
OBJECTIVES: Gastric cancer (GC), though relatively rare, remains a clinical burden due to its diagnosis at advanced stages. Understanding its evolving epidemiology is important for identifying at-risk populations and guiding targeted early detection strategies. As community oncology often serves a highly heterogeneous patient population, and in light of recent updates to clinical practice guidelines, this study examined secular trends in GC over the past decade within the US community oncology setting.
METHODS: All adults (≥18 years) with a diagnosis and documented stage of GC in The US Community Oncology Network and non-Network practices from 2014 to 2024 were included. Patient characteristics were extracted from structured electronic health records data and descriptively analyzed overall and by diagnosis year.
RESULTS: From 2014 to 2024, newly diagnosed GC cases increased from 387 to 711 annually, and GC as a proportion of all new cancer diagnoses doubled from 0.6% to 1.2%. While the sex distribution remained stable (~41.6% female), the proportion of patients identifying as Black, Asian, or other non-White races rose from 25.1% to 37.5%. Stage IV diagnoses also increased (46.7% to 54.3%). Mean age at diagnosis increased overall (64.4 to 66.5 years) and across all race and gender subgroups. This increase was most pronounced among early-stage patients, with mean age rising from 65.3 to 70.0 years for Stage I and from 65.8 to 67.1 for Stage II, compared to a smaller change in Stage IV patients (63.4 to 64.1).
CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this large-scale real-world study reflect increasing demographic diversity, an ageing patient population, and a persistent burden of late-stage GC. However, emerging shifts in stage at diagnosis among certain subgroups - particularly older adults - suggest that more routine screening in key populations may be facilitating earlier detection. Together, these trends underscore the need for more targeted, risk-based screening strategies in diverse community oncology settings.
METHODS: All adults (≥18 years) with a diagnosis and documented stage of GC in The US Community Oncology Network and non-Network practices from 2014 to 2024 were included. Patient characteristics were extracted from structured electronic health records data and descriptively analyzed overall and by diagnosis year.
RESULTS: From 2014 to 2024, newly diagnosed GC cases increased from 387 to 711 annually, and GC as a proportion of all new cancer diagnoses doubled from 0.6% to 1.2%. While the sex distribution remained stable (~41.6% female), the proportion of patients identifying as Black, Asian, or other non-White races rose from 25.1% to 37.5%. Stage IV diagnoses also increased (46.7% to 54.3%). Mean age at diagnosis increased overall (64.4 to 66.5 years) and across all race and gender subgroups. This increase was most pronounced among early-stage patients, with mean age rising from 65.3 to 70.0 years for Stage I and from 65.8 to 67.1 for Stage II, compared to a smaller change in Stage IV patients (63.4 to 64.1).
CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this large-scale real-world study reflect increasing demographic diversity, an ageing patient population, and a persistent burden of late-stage GC. However, emerging shifts in stage at diagnosis among certain subgroups - particularly older adults - suggest that more routine screening in key populations may be facilitating earlier detection. Together, these trends underscore the need for more targeted, risk-based screening strategies in diverse community oncology settings.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2025-11, ISPOR Europe 2025, Glasgow, Scotland
Value in Health, Volume 28, Issue S2
Code
RWD81
Topic
Epidemiology & Public Health, Real World Data & Information Systems, Study Approaches
Topic Subcategory
Health & Insurance Records Systems
Disease
Oncology