Gastric cancer in a patient with chronic gastritis after <i>H. pylori</i> eradication: assessing the risks

Abstract

Stomach cancer occupies a leading position in oncological morbidity and mortality worldwide. Approximately 800,000 people die from stomach cancer every year. In two-thirds of patients gastric cancer is diagnosed at a late stage, when radical treatment becomes impossible. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is considered as the main etiological factor for gastric cancer. To stratify the risk of developing gastric cancer an assessment of morphological changes in the gastric mucosa using the Operative Link for Gastritis Assessment of Atrophic Gastritis (OLGA) system is used. The stage of gastritis plays a key role in determining an individual’s risk of developing stomach cancer. H. pylori eradication therapy is an effective method for preventing gastric cancer. However not in all patients the elimination of the infection can prevent the development of gastric cancer in the future. It is extremely important to identify a group of people with ex-helicobacter gastritis, who have a high risk of developing stomach cancer, and to take timely preventive measures in them. The purpose of this publication is to summarize and systematize the currently available data on the risk of developing gastric cancer in patients with H. pylori-associated gastritis, including those after successful eradication.