Helicobactor pylori infection and development of gastric cancer *
The association between H. pylori infection and development of gastric cancer is well established, based on epidemiologic study, experimental carcinogenesis in Mongolian gerbils, and prevention of gastric cancer by eradication therapy in patients shown to have early gastric cancer after endoscopic resection. It is well known that H. pylori infection causes histologic gastritis with persistent infection, which leads to atrophic gastritis and intestinal metaplasia. Chronic inflammation with H. pylori infection is thought to lead to progressive mucosal corporal atrophy with low acidity, which is a known risk factor for gastric cancer. Thus, H. pylori infection plays an important role in the pathogenesis of gastric cancer.
