Randomized study of screening for Helicobacter pylori to prevent gastric cancer

Effects of screening for Helicobacter pylori on gastric cancer incidence and mortality are unknown. A randomized study in Changhua County,Taiwan, included residents aged 50 to 69 years, who were eligible for biennial fecal immunochemical tests (FIT) for colon cancer screening (n=152,503). Participants were randomized to either an invitation for H. pylori stool antigen test (HPSA) + FIT or FIT alone. The study found found that an invitation to test for HPSA combined with FIT did not reduce rates of gastric cancer or gastric cancer mortality, compared with an invitation for FIT alone. However, when differences in screening participation and length of follow-up were accounted for, gastric cancer incidence, but not gastric cancer mortality, was lower in the HSPA + FIT group, compared with FIT alone.