Published online Jan 14, 2006. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v12.i2.181
Revised: July 28, 2005
Accepted: August 25, 2005
Published online: January 14, 2006
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.