Epidemiology of Gastric Cancer in Korea (1999–2022) - Incidence, Survival, and 5-Year Conditional Relative Survival

Sep 23, 2026

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This Special Article evaluates long-term trends in gastric cancer epidemiology in Korea and characterizes survival using conditional relative survival (CRS). Based on the Korea Central Cancer Registry, 665,184 newly diagnosed patients from 1999–2022 were analyzed across four periods (1999–2005, 2006–2011, 2012–2017, 2018–2022). Incidence and mortality used crude and age-standardized rates, relative survival used the Ederer II method, and 5-year CRS was calculated by survival duration after diagnosis. Incidence rose to 2011 then declined, while mortality steadily decreased. Overall 5-year relative survival improved from 69.8% to 78.4% and 5-year CRS increased from 86.1% at 1 year to 96.3% at 5 years. Stage-stratified CRS remained above 95% for localized disease and below 95% for regional and distant stages, supporting warranted long-term follow-up with optimal duration varying by patient characteristics.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages12

Reading Time30 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Materials and Methods

Results

Conclusions

Funding

Conflict of Interest

Author Contributions

J Gastric Cancer. 2026 Jan;26(1):4-15 [https://doi.org/10.5230/jgc.2026.26.e13](https://doi.org/10.5230/jgc.2026.26.e13)[ ](https://doi.org/10.5230/jgc.2026.26.e13)pISSN 2093-582X·eISSN 2093-5641 Special Article Received: Dec 24, 2025 Accepted: Dec 24, 2025 Published online: Jan 5, 2026 Correspondence to Han Hong Lee Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, 222 Banpo-daero, Seochogu, Seoul 06591, Korea. Email: [painkiller9@catholic.ac.kr](painkiller9@catholic.ac.kr) Kyu-Won Jung Division of Cancer Registration and Surveillance, National Cancer Control Institute, National Cancer Center, 323 Ilsan-ro, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang 10408, Korea. [Email: ara@ncc.re.kr](Email: ara@ncc.re.kr) *Ki Bum Park and Mee Joo Kang contributed equally to this study. Copyright © 2026. Korean Gastric Cancer Association This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License ([https://](https://)[ ](https://)[creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0](creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0)) which permits unrestricted noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. ORCID iDs Ki Bum Park [https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6035-6584](https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6035-6584)[ ](https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6035-6584)Mee Joo Kang [https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9289-3808](https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9289-3808)[ ](https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9289-3808)Johyun Ha [https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3430-1325](https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3430-1325) Epidemiology of Gastric Cancer in Korea (1999–2022): Incidence, Survival, and 5-Year Conditional Relative Survival Ki Bum Park 1,*, Mee Joo Kang 2,3,*, Johyun Ha E Hwa Yun 2,3, Hye-Jin Kim 2,3, Kyu-Won Jung 2,3, Eun Hye Park 2,3, 2,3, Han Hong Lee 4 1Department of Surgery, St. Vincent’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea 2Korea Central Cancer Registry, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea 3Division of Cancer Registration and Surveillance, National Cancer Control Institute, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea 4Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea ABSTRACT Purpose: This study evaluated long-term trends in gastric cancer epidemiology and survival with a focus on conditional relative survival (CRS) . Materials and Methods: Using the Korea Central Cancer Registry, we analyzed 665,184 patients who were newly diagnosed with gastric cancer between 1999 and 2022. The study period was divided into four intervals: Period I (1999–2005), Period II (2006–2011), Period III (2012–2017), and Period IV (2018–2022) . Temporal trends in the incidence and mortality were assessed using crude and age-standardized rates. Relative survival was estimated using the Ederer II method, and the 5-year CRS was calculated according to the survival duration after diagnosis. Results: The incidence of gastric cancer increased until 2011 and subsequently declined, with a marked decrease observed in 2020. Individuals aged ≥70 years consistently had the highest incidence rates. Mortality rates showed a sustained decline throughout the study period. The overall 5-year relative survival improved from 69.8% in Period II to 78.4% in Period IV. The 5-year CRS increased from 86.1% at 1 year after diagnosis to 96.3% at 5 years. Patients with localized stage maintained a 5-year CRS above 95% at 1 year after diagnosis, whereas those with regional and distant stages showed 5-year CRS that consistently remained below 95% . Conclusions: The incidence and mortality rates of gastric cancer in Korea have declined over the past two decades, accompanied by improved survival outcomes. The CRS analysis suggests that long-term follow-up is warrant

FAQs

What data source and sample size were used to assess gastric cancer trends in Korea?

The study used the Korea Central Cancer Registry and analyzed 665,184 patients newly diagnosed with gastric cancer between 1999 and 2022.

How were incidence, mortality, and survival outcomes measured?

Incidence and mortality were evaluated using crude and age-standardized rates, relative survival was estimated using the Ederer II method, and 5-year conditional relative survival (CRS) was calculated by survival duration after diagnosis.

What were the main findings regarding incidence, mortality, and survival over time?

Incidence increased until 2011 and then declined, with a marked decrease in 2020, while mortality declined throughout the study period. Overall 5-year relative survival and 5-year CRS both improved from earlier to later periods.

Sep 23, 2026

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