76% of gastric cancer cases could be prevented

A published study warns that nearly 15,6 million people born between 2008 and 2017 worldwide could develop gastric cancer over the course of their lives. Of these, 76% are related to the Helicobacter pylori bacterium. Asunción García, a researcher at the IACS and the IIS Aragón, participates by giving her opinion on this new study and emphasizing that it is also important to consider other factors such as diet and genetic predisposition.

Around 15,6 million people born between 2008 and 2017 worldwide could develop gastric cancer at some point in their lives, according to a study published in the journal 'Nature Medicine', many of them could have been prevented since 76% of those cases can be attributed to Helicobacter pylori, a common bacteria found in the stomach, would have had more and better measures to prevent gastric cancer, especially through population-wide screening and treatment programs for H. pylori.

According to this work, eIn Spain, the number of people at risk among individuals born between 2008 and 2017 is 4.720.818 and the number of gastric cancer cases expected, if there are no changes in current gastric cancer control measures, would be 58.641, of which 44.436 would be attributable to H. pylori.

Gastric cancer is a complex disease with a significant global health burden. Although its incidence has decreased in industrialized countries, it remains the fifth most common cancer and the fifth leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Its geographical distribution is uneven, with high rates in East Asia and parts of Latin America, and low rates in Western countries.

The treatment, developed by Spanish researchers and believed to be effective in 4% of all cancers, could be tested in humans by early 2025.

The main risk factor is Helicobacter pylori infection, classified by the OMS as a class I carcinogen. This bacteria infects more than half of the world's population and can cause chronic gastritis. which, in some cases, develops into gastric cancer.

The study suggests that most of these cases could be prevented through H. pylori screening and treatment programs, which could reduce incidence by up to 75%. However, few countries have implemented these strategies on a large scale.

This paper examines data on gastric cancer incidence in 185 countries in 2022, combined with cohort-specific mortality projections from United Nations demographic data.

More than 15 million people

According to their estimates, 15,6 million people worldwide born between 2008 and 2017 are likely to be diagnosed with gastric cancer during their lifetime, and that 11,9 million (76%) of those cases will be attributable to H. pylori infection.

The report details that most cases occur in Asia, 10,6 million, with 6,5 million cases in India and China aloneIn contrast, although sub-Saharan Africa currently has a relatively low burden of gastric cancer, projections suggest that its future burden could be at least six times higher than the 2022 estimates suggest.

However, by modeling the impact of H. pylori screening and treatment strategies at the population level, Park and his coauthors found that the predicted number of gastric cancers could be reduced by up to 75%.

To Luis Bujanda, Professor of Medicine at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), the article does not say anything new to what is already known and, he tells Science Media Centre, "I think it falls short of the expectations for Helicobacter pylori or the prevention of gastric cancer."

To date, there is nothing effective to eradicate or prevent this infection.

Bujanda states that the Helicobacter pylori vaccine, which has been talked about for decades, has played an important role, but to date, there is nothing effective to eradicate or prevent this infection.

This expert explains that the incidence of gastric cancer is due to two very important factors. "One, Helicobacter pylori. As the article states, three-quarters of gastric cancers are directly related to Helicobacter pylori, although it's probably more, and that's something we already know. The other important factor is all the feeding conditions, diet and genetic predisposition».

And while developing countries have, on the one hand, worse hygiene and health conditions and higher prevalence of Helicobacter pylori, above 50-60%, in Western countries such as Spain and others, "the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori has dropped dramatically and is now below 35%."

Now, Asunción García, from the Aragon Health Research Institute, that, although H. pylori is the main cause, "other factors such as alcohol, tobacco, obesity, sedentary lifestyle and genetic predisposition also influence".

Therefore, he adds, "a comprehensive approach to gastric cancer prevention strategies is required."

Source: ABC Health.