People Born After 2008 Are At High Risk Of Gastric Cancer, Global Study Reveals

India and China are expected to have the most cases of stomach cancer, and reseachers are pointing fingers to Helicobacter Pylori bacteria, which is the primary cause of gastric cancer.

Another concerning condition that’s not new but is looming on the horizon, possibly going to affect 15.6 million people in the future, is making headlines in the healthcare sector.

A recent global study, titled ‘Global lifetime estimates of expected and preventable gastric cancers across 185 countries‘, published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Medicine, reveals the future burden of gastric cancer among people born between 2008 and 2017, with many cases in India and China.

Method Of Analysing The Data

Researchers analysed data from 185 countries by combining national age-specific incidence rates from the GLOBOCAN 2022 and cohort-specific mortality rates from United Nations demographic projections.

The new study conducted by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) further reveals that about 76% of the future cases are attributable to Helicobacter Pylori infection – the primary cause of gastric cancer.

Continents To Receive The Most Expected Cases

As per the data available, Asia, America, and Africa are expected to have many cases of gastric cancer in the future.

According to WHO, despite an ongoing initiative to eliminate certain diseases, such as cervical cancer and viral hepatitis, gastric cancer has been overlooked, leading to “public health inaction.”

What Is Gastric Cancer?

Gastric cancer, also popularly known as stomach cancer, is a disease where cancer cells grow in the cells lining of stomach.

“Gastric cancer is a disease with high morbidity and poor prognosis, although it is largely preventable. Most gastric cancers are attributable to chronic infection with H. pylori, and this burden worldwide is one of the highest of any cancer-causing infection,” WHO explains.

What Is H. pylori?

H. pylori, or Helicobacter Pylori, is a type of bacteria that can harm your stomach. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, this bacteria can damage the tissue of your stomach and the first part of your small intestine.