Overview
- Modelling based on GLOBOCAN 2022 data and UN projections estimates that 15.6 million people born between 2008 and 2017 will develop gastric cancer in their lifetimes.
- Up to 76% of those cancers are linked to chronic Helicobacter pylori infection, the strongest known risk factor for the disease.
- A 100% effective screen-and-treat programme for H. pylori could reduce the global gastric cancer burden by up to 75%.
- Asia is projected to account for two thirds of future cases with 10.6 million diagnoses, and significant increases are also forecast in the Americas and Africa.
- Authors recommend investing in H. pylori vaccine research and enhancing cancer registry systems in low- and middle-income countries to strengthen prevention efforts.