A study has found that the Korean eating habit of sharing soups or stews with individual spoons can increase the risk of Helicobacter pylori infection, which in turn can significantly raise the risk of stomach cancer. The research indicates that those infected with Helicobacter pylori have over six times higher risk of developing stomach cancer compared to those who are not infected.
This result was published in the latest issue of the international journal ‘BMC Cancer’ by a research team from the Preventive Medicine Department of Chung-Ang University Medical School. The team analyzed the health insurance data of 6,863,103 adults aged 40 to 74 who underwent national cancer screening in 2018, estimating the causal pathway between Helicobacter pylori infection and the occurrence of stomach cancer.
Helicobacter pylori is the only bacterium that survives in the epithelial lining of the human stomach, where strong gastric acid is secreted, and it is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the World Health Organization (WHO). It is mainly transmitted through oral contact, and the prevalence among those aged 16 and over in South Korea is 44%. The cultural practice in Korea of sharing food rather than eating individually is also cited as a factor that increases the infection rate.
Stomach cancer is a common affliction among Koreans, ranking as the fifth most common cancer following thyroid, colorectal, lung, and breast cancers. Approximately 29,000 new stomach cancer cases occur annually. Experts point to Helicobacter pylori infection as one of the reasons for the high stomach cancer rates in Korea.
The research team notably focused on the ‘Correa pathway,’ a prominent model explaining the process of stomach cancer development. This theory posits that Helicobacter infection progresses through chronic gastritis, atrophic gastritis, intestinal metaplasia, adenoma, and eventually stomach cancer.
Apart from Helicobacter pylori infection, factors such as a diet high in salty foods and processed foods, smoking, alcohol consumption, and chronic gastritis are known to collectively contribute to the development of stomach cancer. In the early stages, symptoms like indigestion, bloating, or mild heartburn are not very pronounced, making it easy to overlook. However, significant weight loss, decreased appetite, upper abdominal pain, and anemia may indicate advanced disease progression, necessitating caution.
For prevention, it is recommended to avoid salty, processed, or excessively heated foods and to consume plenty of fruits and vegetables. Additionally, quitting smoking and moderating alcohol intake are essential.