MAJOR CANCERS AND RISK FACTORS – Gastric Cancer
Gastric cancer is the second highest cause of cancer death in the world and is highly prevalent in Japan, Great Britain, South America, and Iceland. Stomach cancers are highly associated with infection of the bacterium Helicobacter pylori and metal dust exposure. H. pylori infection leads to inflammation of the cells of the stomach lining and damage to the tissue. Dietary carcinogens are another risk factor for gastric cancer, and the combination of H. pylori infection and carcinogen ingestion is thought to account for the majority of this disease.