“…In 2012, the estimated number of new gastric cancer cases in Spain was 7,810, and the number of registered deaths was 5,675; the corresponding age-standardized incidence and mortality rates (European Standard Population) were 16.4 per 100,000 population in men and 7.5 in women [3], and 11.3 per 100,000 population in men and 5.2 in women, respectively [4]. Geographic variations have also been observed within countries [5][6][7]. In Spain, gastric cancer mortality displays a singular geographical pattern, with higher mortality rates in Central and Northern regions [8,9].…”