Almost 65% of cases of stomach cancer are related to Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) bacteria but until recently the link was not fully understood.
An international team have shown that H. pylori infection in cancer can be linked to at least three independent molecular pathways. If these pathways are disturbed by infection it can cause mutations in the patients’ gastric tissues leading to cancer. Mutations only occur in the early stages of infection so intervention at this stage is critical to preventing cancer.
Half the world’s population is infected with H. pylori but only a small percentage develop cancer. Factors such as diet and smoking as well as genetic predisposition determines the probability of developing cancer from the infection.
Helicobacter pylori is a Gram-negative, bacterium that More than 50% of the world's population harbour H. pylori in their upper gastrointestinal tract. It causes a chronic low-level inflammation of the stomach lining and is strongly linked to the development of duodenal and gastric ulcers and stomach cancer. However, over 80% of individuals infected with the bacterium are asymptomatic.
Infection is more prevalent in developing countries. The route of transmission is unknown, although individuals become infected in childhood. H. pylori's helix shape is thought to have evolved to penetrate the mucoid lining of the stomach.
An international team have shown that H. pylori infection in cancer can be linked to at least three independent molecular pathways. If these pathways are disturbed by infection it can cause mutations in the patients’ gastric tissues leading to cancer. Mutations only occur in the early stages of infection so intervention at this stage is critical to preventing cancer. 
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