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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Epidemiol.

Sec. Epidemiology of Chronic Diseases and Prevention

Volume 5 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fepid.2025.1643323

Burden of Gastric Cancer in Ecuador (2010-2021): A Gender-and Age-Specific Analysis Using Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs)

Provisionally accepted
  • Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is a major public health issue and a leading cause of cancer-related mortality in Ecuador. Despite national cancer control efforts, the burden remains high, with variations by gender and age. This study aimed to quantify the burden of GC in Ecuador from 2010 to 2021 using Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs), providing insights for public health strategies. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using hospital discharge and mortality data from the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC). The study included all Ecuadorian individuals diagnosed with GC (ICD-10: C16) from 2010 to 2021. The burden of disease was estimated using DALYs, which combined Years of Life Lost (YLL) and Years Lived with Disability (YLD). Data were stratified by gender and age groups. Analyses were performed using Microsoft Excel and the DALY calculator in R v4.2.1.Results: Between 2010 and 2021, GC accounted for 802,135 DALYs in Ecuador, with an annual average of 66,845 DALYs. Males accounted for 57.2% of the total burden. The highest impact was observed in individuals aged 65-69 years. A progressive increase in disease burden was identified, particularly among older age groups.Conclusions: The findings highlight the need for targeted interventions, including early detection programs, risk reduction strategies, and improved healthcare access. Strengthening public health policies is crucial to mitigating the rising burden of GC in Ecuador.

Keywords: gastric cancer, Disability-adjusted life years, Ecuador, disease burden, Public Health

Received: 19 Jun 2025; Accepted: 27 Aug 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Yajamín-Villamarín. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Ricardo Yajamín-Villamarín, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador

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