Geospatial analyses identify regional hot spots of diffuse gastric cancer in rural Central America

Background Geospatial technology has facilitated the discovery of disease distributions and etiology and helped target prevention programs. Globally, gastric cancer is the leading infection-associated cancer, and third leading causeof cancermortality worldwide, with marked geographic variation. Central and South America have a significant burden, particularly in the mountainous regions. In the context of an ongoing population-based case-control studyin Central America, our aim was to examine the spatial epidemiologyof gastric cancer subtypes and H. pylori virulence factors.