Causal role of Helicobacter pylori infection in gastric cancer

Gastric cancer is the second most frequent cancer in the world, accounting for a large proportion of all cancer cases in Asia, Latin America, and some countries in Europe. Helicobacter pylori(H pylori) is regarded as playing a specific role in the development of atrophic gastritis, which represents the most recognized pathway in multistep intestinal-type gastric carcinogenesis. Recent studies suggest that a combination of host genetic factors, bacterial virulence factors, and environmental and lifestyle factors determine the severity of gastric damage and the eventual clinical outcome of H pylori infection. The seminal discovery of H pylori as the leading cause of gastric cancer should lead to effective eradication strategies. Prevention of gastric cancer requires better screening strategies to identify candidates for eradication. (c) 2006 The WIG Press. All rights reserved.