Gastric cancer: who is at risk?

Gastric cancer is a multifactorial disease. Helicobacter pylori infection, host genetic factors and dietetic factors play an important role in the development of gastric cancer. Individuals with a positive family history of gastric cancer and/or pro-inflammatory polymorphisms of the interleukin-1 and tumor necrosis factor A genes infected by H. pylori virulent strains (cagA-, vacA s1-, vacA m1- and babA2-positive) have the highest risk of gastric cancer development. Diets rich in salted and smoked food and poor in fresh fruit and vegetables favor gastric carcinogenesis. Genetic combined with bacterial and host genotyping may allow for the identification of patients at high risk of gastric cancer who can benefit from preventive eradication therapy. Copyright (c) 2004 S. Karger AG, Basel.