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IARC Calls for Global H. pylori Screening to Avert 15.6 Million Future Gastric Cancers

Population-wide H. pylori screening offers a cost-effective strategy to prevent three quarters of future gastric cancer cases.

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Millions of today's youth are expected to develop stomach cancer
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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.