Eradicating H. pylori can prevent gastric cancer, says Nobel laureate Barry Marshall
Nobel laureate Dr. Barry Marshall advocates for widespread screening and treatment of H. pylori infections to prevent gastric cancer. He emphasizes that early eradication is a viable public health strategy, though rising antibiotic resistance remains a significant hurdle.
Why it matters
This approach represents a shift in oncology, moving from treating cancer to preventing it by addressing its bacterial root causes on a population level.
Eradicating Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection early could become an important strategy for preventing gastric cancer, Nobel laureate and gastroenterologist Dr. Barry Marshall said, stressing the need for wider testing, appropriate treatment and confirmation that the infection has been cleared.
Dr. Marshall, who shared the 2005 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Robin Warren for their discovery of H. pylori and its role in gastritis and peptic ulcer disease, said the bacterium should no longer be regarded only as a cause of ulcers.
“H. pylori is much more than an ulcer organism. If the infection persists for many years, it can cause chronic inflammation in the stomach and increase the risk of gastric cancer. That gives us an opportunity because this is a potentially preventable cause of cancer," Dr. Marshall told PTI .
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