Truemors
Recent research has unveiled a possible way for treating stomach cancer. It has been linked with a common bug in the stomach known as "Helicobacter pylori". The researchers said that this bacterium proved to be the cause of stomach cancer.
In a study of 550 people who had stomach cancer surgery, antibiotics which killed the bug cut the risk of a second cancer developing by two-thirds.
There will now be a trial of 56,000 British people to see if killing the bacterium stops the cancer developing.
H. pylori lives in the stomach, and accounts for up to 90% of duodenal ulcers and up to 80% of gastric ulcers.
It was famously linked with stomach ulcers by two Australian researchers - one of whom deliberately infected himself to prove the theory - who were awarded the Nobel prize for their discovery in 2005.
The World Health Organisation also classes the bacterium as a leading cause of stomach cancer.
By eradicating this common bug, research suggests that the risk of developing cancer could be reduced. Anyhow, further studies are being conducted to see if this treatment is effective.
Comments (0)