A recent hospital-based, cross-sectional observational study, was conducted in the Chinese population to explore the potential relationship between psychological state and the progression of atrophic gastritis (AG; caused by H. pylori or not) to early stage gastric cancer (EGC).
The study included 258 individuals receiving care in the Department of Gastroenterology at The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University between March 2020 and November 2024, and included 173 patients diagnosed with AG and 85 with EGC. Clinical profiles, demographic characteristics, and laboratory indices were initially recorded, and then comparative analyses were conducted between groups.
Results showed that, compared to the AG group, patients with EGC exhibited significantly higher psychological distress and depressive tendencies. These findings, while not conclusive, imply a possible association between psychological state and the presence of early gastric cancer (EGC) in patients with atrophic gastritis, thus suggesting that they could function as independent indicators and contribute to the malignant progression of EGC in patients.
Incorporating mental health screening tools could, therefore, offer supplementary value in the broader context of evaluating patients who might carry an increased likelihood of disease progression.
Learn more about this study here: http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000045653
Reference
Liang, Mengmeng BD; Wang, Juan MD; Li, Rui MD; Yang, Jun MD; Liu, Yuping BD; Zhao, Lian BD. The association between psychological status and the development of early gastric cancer from atrophic gastritis. Medicine 104(45):p e45653, November 07, 2025