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TerminatedNCT04600466Updated Apr 14, 2026

Molecular and Epidemiological Risk Factors in the Development of Gastric Cancer

An observational study in Gastric Cancer, sponsored by The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Terminated at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-04-14.

Sponsored by The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio · Observational

Why this study was terminated
PI leaving institution
Study type
Observational
Model
Cohort
Time perspective
Other
Enrollment
129
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

This protocol is a single-institution feasibility study to identify the molecular and epidemiological risk factors in the development of gastric cancer in high-risk predominantly Hispanic South Texas population. The study is broken down into two main parts: 1) To identify molecular differences in gastric adenocarcinoma (GAC) between Non-Hispanics and Hispanics, stratified by age, and in benign, pre-malignant, and malignant gastric lesions; and 2) To identify environmental and clinicopathological factors in Hispanics associated with specific molecular changes linked to the development of GAC.

Read the detailed description

The first part of the study will be accomplished by performing molecular testing on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues on retrospectively identified patients with GAC. Germline testing will be done on both retrospectively and prospectively identified cohort of patients with diagnosis of GAC. The second part of the study will be accomplished via survey administration on retrospectively and prospectively identified patients with diagnosis of GAC and to test Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection status, which are known risk factors for the development of GAC, on their FFPE gastric specimen. The data from part 1 and part 2 will be analyzed and correlated. The overall goal of the study is to identify molecular markers and environmental risk factors in GAC unique to Hispanics relative to Non-Hispanics in South Texas, and to define molecular alterations in pre-malignant gastric lesions associated with the development of GAC. The long-term goal is to improve racial disparities by defining prognostic and therapeutic molecular markers and environmental risk factors in Hispanics and ultimately for all patients with GAC. Identification of high-risk molecular markers and environmental factors in the development of GAC will help future deployment of improved prevention and surveillance modalities.

02

Conditions studied

  • Gastric Cancer

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03

In context

Stomach Neoplasms

2,851 studies on the registry are indexed under Stomach Neoplasms; 864 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 129 is below the median of 274 across 670 observational studies indexed under Stomach Neoplasms.

Browse Stomach Neoplasms studies →

Lead sponsor

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio is the lead sponsor of 435 studies on the registry; 88 are open to participants now.

Of its 62 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 31 (50%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No
Sampling method
Non-probability sample

Study population

Patients with diagnosis of gastric adenocarcinoma

Inclusion criteria

  • Aged 18 years or older
  • Patient with histologically confirmed diagnosis of gastric adenocarcinoma
  • Able to understand English or Spanish (only for the prospective cohort)
  • GEJ adenocarcinoma Type II (within 1 cm above and 2 cm below the GEJ) and Type III (2-5 cm below the GEJ)
  • Hyperplastic polyps

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Clinically AND genetically confirmed diagnosis of well-established hereditary cancer syndrome
  • Gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma Type I (1-5 cm above the GEJ) as they are treated as esophageal cancer
  • Other benign or malignant histology types (i.e. leiomyoma, gastrointestinal stroma tumors, fundic gland polyps, etc.)
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Study design

Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Other
Enrollment
129 participants (actual)
Patient registry
No
Biospecimen retention
Samples with dna

Groups and cohorts

  • Retrospective Non-Hispanics

    Molecular testing will be done on formalin fixed paraffin-embeded (FFPE) tissue collected at the time of gastroadenocarcinoma diagnosis and subsequent biopsies. Participants who are alive will be asked to complete a survey and consent to germline testing.

    Other: Molecular testing for all participants. · Other: Germline Testing · Other: Survey

  • Retrospective Hispanic

    Molecular testing will be done on formalin fixed paraffin-embeded (FFPE) tissue collected at the time of gastroadenocarcinoma diagnosis and subsequent biopsies. Participants who are alive will be asked to complete a survey and consent to germline testing.

    Other: Molecular testing for all participants. · Other: Germline Testing · Other: Survey

  • Prospective Non-Hispanic

    Molecular testing will be done on formalin fixed paraffin-embeded (FFPE) tissue collected at the time of gastroadenocarcinoma diagnosis and subsequent biopsies. Participants will be asked to complete a survey and consent to germline testing.

    Other: Molecular testing for all participants. · Other: Germline Testing · Other: Survey

  • Prospective Hispanic

    Molecular testing will be done on formalin fixed paraffin-embeded (FFPE) tissue collected at the time of gastroadenocarcinoma diagnosis and subsequent biopsies. Participants will be asked to complete a survey and consent to germline testing.

    Other: Molecular testing for all participants. · Other: Germline Testing · Other: Survey

Interventions

  • OtherMolecular testing for all participants.

    Molecular testing on formalin fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues on retrospectively identified patients with gastric adenocarcinoma.

  • OtherGermline Testing

    Germline testing will be done on prospectively identified patients and in retrospectively identified patients who are still alive.

  • OtherSurvey

    Survey will be administered on prospectively identified patients and in retrospectively identified patients who are still alive. Survey will be administered in person or via telephone. The survey in the language of the participants choice (English or Spanish) on sociodemographic information, current and/or prior PPI (proton pump inhibitor), H2 blocker, antibiotic, tobacco, alcohol, and recreational drug use. Questionnaire will include other risk factors for gastric adenocarcinoma such as certain dietary constituents (high salt diet, high consumption of processed meat, etc.) and occupational exposures.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. To identify molecular differences in GAC between Non-Hispanics and Hispanics

    DNA from archived FFPE gastric cancer tissue from patients with diagnosis of GAC will be analyzed for the top 25 mutated genes identified in The Cancer Genome Atlas. The results will be compared and analyzed between Hispanics and non-Hispanics. In addition, germline testing using a 156 gene panel using saliva will be performs on patients with GAC and compared between Hispanics and non-Hispanics. Difference in somatic and germline mutations will be analyzed in patients with GAC between Hispanics and non-Hispanics.

    Time frame: 5 years

  2. To identify molecular differences in GAC between benign, pre-malignant, and malignant gastric lesions

    Archived FFPE slides will be separated into malignant, normal, and pre-malignant sections after histopathology review. These include normal or pre-malignant adjacent tissue from GAC specimen or from prior gastric biopsy specimen. FFPE samples will be stratified into 4 main groups: 1) normal/superficial gastritis (SG); 2) atrophic gastritis (AG)/intestinal metaplasia (IM); 3) dysplasia; and 4) gastric adenocarcinoma (GCA). Top genes among the 25 analyzed in Outcome 1 will be studied on 50 benign and 100 pre-malignant samples and compared to the results from GAC samples from Outcome 1.

    Time frame: 5 years

  3. To identify environmental and clinicopathological factors in Hispanics associated with specific molecular changes

    A comprehensive survey will be administered to patients with diagnosis of GAC retrospectively (to those who are still alive) and prospectively to query their anthropomorphic data, medical co-morbidities, sociodemographic information, dietary constituents, and exposures to known risk factors in the development of GAC. FFPE with gastric cancer tissue will be tested for EBV and H. pylori retrospectively and prospectively to test for prior exposure to these infections that are known risk factors for GAC.

    Time frame: 5 years

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Mays Cancer Center, UT Health San Antonio
    San Antonio, Texas 78229, United States
08

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Apr 14, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
09

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT04600466
Lead sponsor
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
Collaborators
IIMS-UT Health San Antonio, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Oct 23, 2020
Start date
Jan 22, 2021
Primary completion
Jun 6, 2025
Completion
Jun 6, 2025
Last update
Apr 14, 2026

Study contacts

Mio Kitano, MD
principal investigator · The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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This study is terminated, as verified in Apr 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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