Add a simple measure to prevent stomach cancer

A recent study found that destroying a common strain of bacteria in the digestive tract of people who have treated stomach cancer can help them prevent the re-emergence of tumors.

Helicobacter pylori, the culprit that causes most ulcers in the digestive tract, also causes stomach cancer.

Helicobacter pylori bacteria.Photo: science.org.au

Dr. Mototsugu Kato and his colleagues at Hokkaido Medical University, Japan, monitored 550 patients who had undergone gastric surgery to remove cancer cells and their surrounding tissue.

Then, half of the patients were treated with some drugs that could eliminate H. pylori - including lansoprazole, amoxicillin and clarithromycin. The remaining patients only use placebo. After 6, 12, 24 and 36 weeks the research team examines the patient to see if the cancer cells appear.

Three years later, the tumor appeared in the stomach of 9 people in the first group and 24 people in the placebo group. Overall, the risk of cancer recurrence was reduced by 65% ​​if the patient took the drug to kill H. pylori.