Barriers to Community-Based Eradication of Helicobacter pylori Infection

Abstract

Helicobacter pylori (HP) is a causative agent in gastric cancer (GC).¹ In the United States, HP is more prevalent in racial and ethnic minorities, including African Americans, Asian Americans, Latinos, and immigrants, the same groups that are more likely to develop and die from GC.² Although screening for HP is not presently performed in the United States, there are plausible benefits to doing so, because HP is considered a group 1 carcinogen by the World Health Organization, and its link to GC parallels that of human papilloma virus and cervical cancer.¹ HP eradication as a means of preventing GC also fulfils the Wilson and Jungner criteria for a successful screening program, and literature has consistently demonstrated that HP eradication reduces GC risk and death from GC.³ In fact, in countries with a high burden of GC, HP eradication is considered primary prevention for GC. As such, targeted HP testing in the United States may reduce GC burden in high-risk groups.⁴ We evaluate the results of community-based HP testing in an at-risk, underserved population.