New Delhi, July 09: A new study published in Nature Medicine highlights a rising global trend of stomach cancer among people under 50, with most future cases linked to the preventable infection Helicobacter pylori (H pylori). Chronic H pylori infection is the strongest known risk factor for gastric cancer and can be treated using antibiotics and proton pump inhibitors.
Researchers from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the WHO, projected that 15.6 million new cases of stomach cancer will occur globally among people born between 2008 and 2017 if current prevention strategies remain unchanged.
Crucially, accordign to the study that published in the journal Nature Medicine, 76% of these cases-about three-quarters-are attributable to H pylori and are potentially preventable. Asia is expected to bear the highest burden with 10.6 million cases, followed by the Americas and Africa. The researchers used large-scale simulations incorporating data from GLOBOCAN 2022 and UN mortality projections to estimate lifetime cancer risk based on age, death likelihood, and demographic trends.
A 100% effective screening and treatment program for H pylori could reduce stomach cancer cases by up to 75%. Even programs with 80-90% effectiveness would still prevent 60-68% of cases. These interventions are cost-effective and feasible even in low-income settings, comparable to HPV or hepatitis B vaccination campaigns.
The study urges investment in population-level screen-and-treat programs and emphasizes the importance of developing an H. pylori vaccine. Despite limitations in data from low-income countries and assumptions about static infection rates, the findings strongly advocate for proactive, global public health measures to prevent a significant portion of future gastric cancers.( NDTV)
