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Cancer Resources > Cancer News > Cancer News from Reuters > Reuters Cancer News > 2005 > May
Serum and H. pylori testing points to gastric cancer risk
David Douglas
Last Updated: 2005-05-27 13:40:03 -0400 (Reuters Health)
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Serum pepsinogen and Helicobacter pylori antibodies appears to be "good predictive markers" for the development of gastric cancer, Japanese researchers report in the June issue of Gut.
In particular, lead investigator Dr. Hirotsugo Watabe told Reuters Health, now "we can tell a patient his or her risk for gastric cancer by a serological test."
Dr. Watabe, of the University of Tokyo, and colleagues prospectively estimated the incidence of gastric cancer by annual endoscopic screening in an asymptomatic general population. They were followed for a mean of 4.7 years and underwent a mean of 5.1 endoscopic evaluations.
In the 3324 subjects who had normal pepsinogen and were negative for H. pylori antibody at the initial endoscopy, the annual incidence of gastric cancer was 0.04%. Among the 2314 with normal pepsinogen who were positive for H. pylori antibody, the incidence was 0.06%. Compared to those in the first group, their hazard ratio was 1.1.
In the 1082 with atrophic levels of pepsinogen and who were positive for H. pylori antibody, the incidence was 0.35% and the hazard ratio was 6.0. In the remaining 443 subjects who had atrophic pepsinogen and were negative for H. pylori antibody, the incidence was 0.60% and the hazard ratio 8.2.
As well as these group classifications, age and sex were independent risk factors. For example, men over the age of 60 years who had atrophic pepsinogen and were negative for H. pylori antibody had the highest annual incidence of gastric cancer (1.8%).
The researchers, who note that there is "an increasing tendency for gastro-carcinogenesis with progression of H. pylori infection," conclude that findings provide "definitive baseline data for future prevention studies in gastric cancer."
Gut 2005;54:764-768.
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