DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My 39-year-old brother was just diagnosed with stomach cancer. The diagnosis was especially shocking because of his age. Is this becoming more common? Does age affect the approaches to treatment?
ANSWER: Stomach cancer, also referred to as gastric cancer, was once thought of as a disease of older adults. However, it’s increasingly affecting people under the age of 50, mirroring a similar shift observed with colorectal and other gastrointestinal cancers. While this shift in early-onset stomach cancer is unsettling, the overall incidence of stomach cancer remains relatively stable.
A changing risk profile
Researchers are investigating the reasons behind these trends, and several factors appear to play a role:
