Overview
Gastric cancer (GC) is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, with over 95% being adenocarcinomas 1. It often presents at an advanced stage, leading to a poor prognosis 1.Diagnosis
Biomarker testing has significantly impacted clinical practice and patient care in gastric cancer 1.
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is associated with an increased risk of GC 2.
HBV-infected individuals have a significantly increased risk of GC (sOR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.22-1.37) 2.
Serum HBsAg positivity is significantly higher in GC patients compared to controls in some regions (OR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.03-2.55) 2.Management
Systemic therapy can provide palliation, improve survival, and enhance quality of life in patients with locally advanced or metastatic disease 1.
Targeted therapies have shown encouraging results in clinical trials for locally advanced or metastatic disease 1.
HBV-positive patients with GC have significantly worse disease-free survival (HR, 1.98; 95% CI, 1.39-2.82) and overall survival (HR, 1.84; 95% CI, 1.19-2.85) compared to HBV-negative patients 2.
HBV infection is an independent adverse prognostic factor in GC 2.Key Recommendations
Biomarker testing is recommended for gastric cancer management 1. (Evidence: Expert opinion)
Systemic therapy should be considered for palliation and survival improvement in locally advanced or metastatic gastric cancer 1. (Evidence: Expert opinion)
Hepatitis B virus infection is associated with an increased risk and worse survival in gastric cancer patients 2. (Evidence: Moderate)References
1 Ajani JA, D'Amico TA, Bentrem DJ, Corvera CU, Das P, Enzinger PC et al.. Gastric Cancer, Version 2.2025, NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines In Oncology. Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network : JNCCN 2025. link
2 Li M, Wu S, Luo H, Niu J, Yan Y, Fang Y et al.. Serological and Molecular Characterization of Hepatitis B Virus Infection in Gastric Cancer. Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology 2022. link