Gastric cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer deaths worldwide, falling second behind lung cancer (1,2). The American Cancer Society estimates that the lifetime risk of cancer in men and women is 1 in 96 and 1 in 152, respectively. In certain parts of the world, the burden of gastric cancer is notably high, such as in East Asia, Latin America, and central and eastern European countries (1,2). In other areas, there has been a steady decline in the incidence of this type of cancer over the decades, particularly in the United States and most western European countries (1). This decline has been thought to be a result of various diet and lifestyle factors, including better handling of food (i.e., refrigeration), decreased consumption of tobacco and dietary salt, increased consumption of fruits and vegetables, and decreased infection with the Helicobacter pylori bacteria thought to be the major cause of gastric cancer (1,3). Despite this decline in the United States, a racial disparity exists whereby racial and ethnic minorities, including Hispanic Americans, are disproportionately impacted by gastric cancer (4). In fact, although Hispanics have a lower incidence and mortality rates for all cancers combined, they have an approximately two-fold higher incidence of gastric cancer (5)

This website is designed to be a comprehensive resource for information regarding gastric cancer, including its clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment, etiology, etc. In addition to this biomedical aspect, this website also offers illness narratives through the eyes of gastric cancer patients and/or their families. Due to the racial disparities of gastric cancer in the United States mentioned previously, this website particularly centers around illness narratives of Hispanic Americans and answers questions including, but not limited to, the following: what is contributing to the current health disparities of gastric cancer among Hispanic Americans? How are these disparities being addressed (or not addressed)? How do cultural perceptions of cancer among Hispanic Americans impact the lived experience of gastric cancer patients and their families? In what ways has the COVID-19 pandemic called attention to this racial disparity? In addition to answers to these and other questions, this website also links to numerous outside sources and research articles for further information on this topic.