Bacteria increase risk of lower stomach cancer, decreases risk of upperOctober 18, 2006The bacteria Helicobacter pylori substantially increase the risk of cancer in the lower stomach, but it may decrease the risk of cancer near the junction between the esophagus and the stomach, according to a study in the October 19 Journal of the National Cancer Institute. This finding may help explain the changing rates and distributions of these cancers in Western countries over the past century. Infection with H. pylori, which is known to cause ulcers, has also been associated with certain types of gastric cancer, but the strength of association varies with where the cancer is located in the stomach. Two types of gastric cancer commonly exist - cardia, or cancer of the upper stomach joining the esophagus; and noncardia, or cancer of the lower stomach. A group of researchers led by Farin Kamangar, M.D., Ph.D., of the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Md., selected 234 cardia and noncardia gastric cancer patients in the Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study and matched them to controls. They assessed all of the subjects for H. pylori infection by testing their blood for antibodies that indicate prior infection. The authors found that the subjects infected with H. pylori had a higher risk of developing noncardia gastric cancer and a lower risk of developing cardia gastric cancer. They suggest that a decrease in H. pylori infections during the past century may be one reason that scientists have observed increasing rates of cardia and decreasing rates of noncardia gastric cancers in Western countries. "The results of this study suggest that caution may be warranted against mass treatment to eradicate H. pylori ," the authors write. In an accompanying editorial, Olof Nyren, M.D., Ph.D., of the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, and William J. Blot, Ph.D., of the International Epidemiology Institute in Rockville, Md., write, "It seems prudent to include the putative protective effect of H. pylori against adenocarcinoma of the esophagus or cardia in the equation when drawing up prevention plans for gastric cancer." Journal of the National Cancer Institute |
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| Related Stomach Cancer Current Events and Stomach Cancer News Articles Uncovering the secrets of ulcer-causing bacteria A team of researchers from Boston University, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts Institute of Technology recently made a discovery that changes a long held paradigm about how bacteria move through soft gels. What are factors associated with use of gastric cancer screening services in Korea? The mortality of gastric cancer is decreasing despite the increasing incidence in Korea. This can be explained by surgical technique development and early detection by endoscopic screening or upper gastrointestinal study. Heavy drinkers face significantly increased cancer risk Heavy drinkers of beer and spirits face a much higher risk of developing cancer than the population at large, says a group of Montreal epidemiologists and cancer researchers. Simple measures may prevent transmission of stomach ulcer bacteria The stomach ulcer bacterium Helicobacter pylori is not transmitted through drinking water as previously thought, but rather through vomit and possibly faeces. Columbia team finds that gastrin plays significant role in helicobacter-induced stomach cancer A group led by Columbia University Medical Center's Timothy Wang, M.D., has studied the role of Helicobacter infection in the development of stomach cancer and found that the hormone gastrin, which stimulates secretion of gastric acid, plays a key role in the development of Helicobacter-induced stomach cancer, and may have distinct effects on carcinogenesis in different parts of the stomach. Tummy troubles -- gastrin key in bacterial-induced stomach cancer Current research suggests that levels of gastrin play a key role in the development of Helicobacter-induced stomach cancer. Glutamine supplements show promise in treating stomach ulcers Nearly 20 years ago, it was discovered that bacteria known as Helicobacter pylori were responsible for stomach ulcers. Novel therapy may prove effective in treatment of 30 percent of cancers A ground-breaking Canada-wide clinical trial led by Dr. Katherine Borden, at the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC) of the Université de Montréal, has shown that a common anti-viral drug, ribavirin, can be beneficial in the treatment of cancer patients. New minimally invasive surgery option for patients with stomach cancer A novel, minimally invasive surgical approach to treat stomach cancer has been shown to have advantages that may make it a preferable treatment for some patients. Broccoli sprouts may prevent stomach cancer by defeating Helicobacter pylori Three-day-old broccoli sprouts, a widely available human food, suppressed Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infections, according to a report in Cancer Prevention Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. H. pylori infections are one of the most common bacterial infections worldwide and are a major cause of stomach cancer. More Stomach Cancer Current Events and Stomach Cancer News Articles |
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