H. Pylori Bacteria and
Stomach Cancer Recurrence

It's long been known that the Helicobacter pylori or H. pylori bacterium was a factor in stomach cancer, and according to a study that was published in this week's issue of The Lancet, clearing the stomach of H. pylori in post-operative stomach cancer patients can significantly improves the odds that the cancer won't redevelop.
 
Almost all stomach cancers not related to the heart develop from H. pylori infecting the lining of the stomach, known as the mucosa. In the past, trials on human sujects related to H pylori removal have been controversial.

Dr. Mototsugu Kato and Dr Masahiro Asaka, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan, leaders of the study, said "The results of our study suggest that treatment to eradicate H. pylori reduces the risk of developing new gastric carcinoma in patients who have a history of such disease and are thus at risk for developing further gastric cancers. We believe that our data add to those from previous studies showing a causal relationship between H. pylori infection and gastric cancer, and also support the use of H. pylori eradication to prevent the development of gastric cancer."

The World Health Organization has classified the bacteria as a group I carcinogen for stomach cancer.