The Deadly Duo: Unveiling the 45% Increase in Gastric Cancer Risk

The risk of gastric cancer is significantly increased by the presence of both the stomach microbe H. pylori and rare variants in nine genes, according to a study by RIKEN researchers. The study suggests that targeted antibiotic treatments could reduce the risk in genetically susceptible individuals. The combination of H. pylori and certain gene variants can increase the lifetime probability of developing gastric cancer by over 45%. This finding offers hope for carriers of these gene variants, as they can be tested for H. pylori and receive antibiotic treatment to dramatically reduce their risk. The study also provides insights into how gastric cancer develops and may inform research on other cancers linked to these gene variants.