There has been recent editorial emphasis on the long-standing observation that gastric malignancy in the United States has been on the steady decrease for the past 2½ decades and very probably longer (Fig 1).64 During the years 1930 to 1955 the age-adjusted mortality rates have fallen approximately 23%.45,64 From a clinical aspect the decline has become so striking, in fact, that a number of medical centers have recorded a drop in admissions for this disease in excess of 50% since 1952.64 By way of contrast, death from carcinoma of all types has increased during the same interval, and, while the mortality rate from carcinoma of the stomach has fallen from 19.8 to 11.2 per 100,000 population, that from carcinoma of the colon and rectum has remained stable (Fig 2).45 The trend has not been confined to the United States alone; comparably reduced death rates have been