Global estimate of gastric cancer in Helicobacter pylori-infected population: A systematic review and meta-analysis

There is information regarding the rates of gastric cancer (GC) in different populations and the important role of Helicobacter pylori in GC development; however, no comprehensive study has yet been performed to investigate the prevalence of GC in H. pylori-infected patients. PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library through January 1, 2000 were searched without language restrictions. Quality of included studies was assessed with a critical appraisal checklist recommended by the Joanna Briggs Institute. All of the analyses were conducted using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis Software Version 2.0 and Stata 14.0. Forty-four studies from 17 countries were included. The pooled frequency of GC was 17.4% (95% confidence interval: 16.4-18.5) in H. pylori-infected population. The frequency of GC among H. pylori-infected population varied markedly across countries. The highest rate of GC was observed in H. pylori-infected individuals from Asian countries. The frequency of GC was relatively high in H. pylori-infected population in the world. However, the eradication of H. pylori might be a promising strategy for GC prevention, especially in high-risk populations such as Asian countries.