Helicobacter pylori infection in a region with high risk of gastric cancer; [A Infecção por helicobacter pylori numa região de alto risco de cancro do Estômago]

Abstract

Helicobacter pylori infection is the main gastric cancer determinant, which currently is an important cause of oncological morbidity and mortality in Portugal, and specially in the north of the country. In the city of Porto, unbiased estimates of the frequency of infection in different age-groups of the general population are available from the studies EPIPorto (adults, 1999-2003), EPITeen (adolescents, 13 years, 2003/2004) and Geração XXI (children, 4 years, 2010-2011). The prevalence was 73.9% in the age-group 18-30 years and higher than 88% above the age of 40. Nearly two-thirds of the adolescents and one quarter of the children were infected. In the adolescents and adults the estimated incidence rates were higher than 3/100 person-years. Understanding the frequency of the infection and its time trends, in each setting, are essential to estimate the potential impact of measures for prevention and control of infection and to predict the burden of gastric cancer. The incidence and prevalence of H. pylori infection in this setting are in accordance with the high gastric cancer mortality currently observed and will expectedly result in a high burden of morbidity and mortality due to gastric cancer in the next decades.