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Researchers from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) convened a three-day Working Group Meeting on 17–19 February 2025 that brought together an international, interdisciplinary group of 33 experts from 21 countries to discuss current practices and provide guidance on the implementation of population-based Helicobacter pylori screen-and-treat strategies in adult populations for the prevention of gastric cancer. The meeting, led by Dr Jin Young Park, leader of the Gastric Cancer Prevention Team at IARC, took place as part of the Accelerating Gastric Cancer Reduction in Europe through Helicobacter pylori Eradication (EUROHELICAN) project.
The findings of the Working Group will be published as an IARC Working Group Report addressing population-based H. pylori screen-and-treat strategies as specific interventions for the primary prevention of gastric cancer. The scope is not limited to Europe but covers all world regions, including different Human Development Index levels and background burdens of disease, to ensure that the guidance is globally applicable.
The Working Group Report will include chapters on epidemiology of H. pylori and gastric cancer, the effect of the strategies and a summary of existing guidelines, ongoing gastric cancer prevention efforts in the world, needs and readiness assessments, choosing screening methods and treatment regimens, antibiotic stewardship, process and outcome measures for improving quality and equity, and how to optimize the cost–benefits of the strategies.
The meeting opened with a keynote lecture given by Dr David Forman, which is available to watch on the IARC YouTube channel. Authors of the chapters of the upcoming Working Group Report also gave short interviews summarizing their contributions. These videos will be made available when the Working Group Report is published, which is expected to be in April 2025.
Read more about gastric cancer prevention research at IARC
