Gastric cancer prevention in the EU — Professor Mārcis Leja presents GISTAR, EUROHELICAN, TOGAS and EUCanScreen

In his presentation, "Gastric Cancer Prevention in Europe," he presented the GISTAR, EUROHELICAN, TOGAS and EUCanScreen projects and highlighted the importance of artificial intelligence, diagnostic test accuracy, and long‑term surveillance in gastric cancer prevention.

Professor Leja cited ECIS (European Cancer Information System) projections: estimated gastric cancer cases in the European Union were 74.58 thousand in 2022 and are projected to rise to 91.92 thousand by 2040 (a 23.25% increase). Mortality is also expected to increase — from about 51.78 thousand in 2022 to 65.67 thousand in 2040 (a 26.82% increase). These figures underscore the urgent need to implement effective primary prevention strategies.

The event brought together international experts and policy‑makers to discuss progress on EC‑GaC guideline development and the role of the Third EU Cancer Screening Report.

EU‑GAINS is an EU‑level initiative for gastric cancer prevention - a collaborative coordination platform aimed at accelerating primary prevention in Europe by combining clinical studies, pilot projects and guideline development. EU‑GAINS promotes evidence‑based H. pylori screen‑and‑treat strategies and their implementation; collaborates with GISTAR, EUROHELICAN, TOGAS and EUCanScreen; contributed to the Third EU Cancer Screening Report; and organizes meetings and symposia to bring together researchers, clinicians and policy‑makers.