A common stomach bacteria could be responsible for nearly 12 million cancer cases worldwide among people born over a single decade, according to a new study published July 7 in Nature Medicine. Researchers warn that Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), often contracted in childhood and typically symptomless, may lead to a sharp rise in stomach cancer rates.
The study estimates that 15.6 million people born between 2008 and 2017 will develop stomach cancer in their lifetimes, with 76% of those cases linked to H. pylori infection. While the bacteria often goes unnoticed, it can cause ulcers and chronic inflammation in the stomach lining, conditions that significantly increase cancer risk.
Scientists say the disease is largely preventable and that rapid screening and treatment programs could prevent up to 75% of expected stomach cancer cases.
Did you know that stomach cancer makes up around 1.5% of all new cancer cases diagnosed annually in the US? Globally, over one million people are diagnosed every year, with nearly 800,000 dying. Stomach cancer is the fifth most common cancer in the world and is found more often in men than in women. But what are the causes and symptoms of this type of cancer, and how is it treated?
Click through and learn more about stomach cancer.