The survival rate of women under the age of 50 with gastric cancer has been found to be lower than that of men. On the 10th, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital released the results of a study by a research team led by Professors Kim Na-young and Choi Yong-hoon of the Division of Gastroenterology containing these findings. The researchers analyzed differences in survival rates by sex, age, and cancer stage in 14,839 patients who were diagnosed with gastric cancer at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital between 2003 and 2023.

They found that survival rates differed between men and women by age group. Among younger patients under 50, women had a lower survival rate than men. However, among those aged 60 and older, women had a higher survival rate than men. Female gastric cancer patients were also diagnosed at a younger average age than male patients.

The research team explained that the pattern of gastric cancer onset differs by sex, leading to differences in survival rates. “Diffuse-type gastric cancer,” in which cancer cells spread along the stomach wall, occurred more frequently in women than in men. Unlike “intestinal-type gastric cancer,” which typically presents as a mass, diffuse-type gastric cancer is known to be more difficult to detect and treat at an early stage and to have a relatively poorer prognosis. In particular, among women under 40, the proportion of diffuse-type gastric cancer reached about 80%. In both men and women, the proportion of diffuse-type gastric cancer decreased with age, while the proportion of intestinal-type gastric cancer increased.

The researchers cited the higher levels of estrogen in women as a reason for the difference in gastric cancer types. Estrogen is closely related to the development and progression of diffuse-type gastric cancer, resulting in a relatively higher proportion of diffuse-type gastric cancer in women. Professor Kim said, “Given the high proportion of diffuse-type gastric cancer and the frequent occurrence of advanced cancer among young women under 50, more proactive screening and management are needed when risk factors such as a family history or Helicobacter infection are present.”

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