Eradication of <i>Helicobacter pylori</i> Reduces Gastric Cancer Risk by Preventing Gastric Mucosal Atrophy and Intestinal Metaplasia

The current situation of stomach cancer in ChinaRecent data from the global cancer database reveal that gastric cancer is the second most common malignant tumor in terms of both incidence and mortality in China. 1 Moreover, intestinal-type gastric cancer is the main type of gastric cancer reported in Chinese patients.Research suggests that the intestinal-type gastric cancer originates from the progression of atrophic gastritis, to intestinal metaplasia, and then dysplasia, with Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori) playing a crucial role in the process. 2 Approximately 4-5% of individuals infected with H. pylori in China ultimately develop gastric cancer. 3Since the discovery of H. pylori, ongoing research has unveiled that intestinal-type gastric cancer is a preventable disease.Successful eradication of H. pylori is paramount in reducing the incidence of intestinal-type gastric cancer in China and globally.Early eradication of H. pylori has been shown to effectively lower the occurrence of intestinal-type gastric cancer.In 1965, Pathologist Pekka Laurn from Finland categorized gastric cancer into two primary types based on histopathology: the intestinal type, characterized by differentiated adenocarcinoma prevalent in middle-aged and elderly individuals, and the diffuse type, which includes signet ring cell carcinoma or undifferentiated carcinoma more common in younger people. 4Laurn's classification remains widely utilized in modern research. 4Gastric cancer arises from a combination of factors, including H. pylori infection, genetic predisposition, and environmental influences. 5H. pylori infection promotes the progression of gastritis to intestinal metaplasia, dysplasia, and eventually to intestinal-type gastric cancer. 2Over the years, numerous studies have confirmed the efficacy of eradicating H. pylori in preventing gastric cancer. 6,7Various domestic and international consensus guidelines underscore the critical role of H. pylori infection as a controllable risk factor in