Helicobacter pylori, gastric lymphoma and gastric carcinoma

Epidemiological and pathophysiological data have shown that gastritis caused by Helicobacter pylori can be regarded as a pre-neoplastic condition for gastric lymphoma and gastric carcinoma. Nevertheless, the development of gastric cancer appears to be a multi-factorial process. Hence, there is a need for future studies to identify from among patients infected with H. pylori those who may benefit from a cure of the infection in the sense of gastric cancer prevention. It may be expected that ongoing research into H. pylori has the potential to show that gastric neoplasia is, at least in part, an infectious disease that can be prevented by anti-microbial treatment.