Helicobacter Pylori Tied to 20% of Global Bowel Cancer
A new study suggests that the stomach bacterium Helicobacter pylori may be linked to over 20% of bowel cancer cases globally. Researchers are calling for further long-term studies to determine if antibiotic eradication therapy could serve as a viable preventative measure.
Why it matters
Establishing a causal link between a common infection and a leading cause of cancer death could significantly alter global public health screening and treatment strategies.
Exposure to the stomach microbe Helicobacter pylori may be associated with more than 1 in 5 cases of bowel cancer worldwide, suggests an exploratory risk attribution study, published in the open access journal eGastroenterology.
Those born in more recent decades may be more at risk of the disease after exposure, the analysis suggests, and high quality long term studies are needed to determine if eradication therapy with antibiotics significantly lowers bowel cancer risk, conclude the researchers.
Bowel cancer is the second leading cause of cancer related death: in 2022, there were nearly 2 million new cases and 900,000 deaths from the disease worldwide, note the researchers.
H pylori is categorised as a group 1 (definite) human carcinogen given its established causal association with stomach cancer. But its potential role in bowel cancer risk remains hotly debated, despite accumulating evidence, they explain.
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