Global strategy for prevention of gastric cancer

Abstract

Global prevention of gastric cancer needs to increase its level of effectiveness. The prevention strategy should include all stages of primary and secondary prevention. The necessary steps to prevent gastric cancer are the following: Maintaining a healthy lifestyle and diet, avoiding smoking and alcohol; serological screening of Helicobacter pylori infections and eradication; serological screening of atrophic gastritis in the population over 45 years of age and identification of severe atrophic gastritis with a high risk of developing gastric cancer; verification of atrophic gastritis and precancerous changes in the gastric mucosa using modern endoscopic (confocal laser endomicroscopy, narrow-spectrum imaging, and magnifying endoscopy) and morphological methods among patients with severe atrophic gastritis who were identified using serological screening; treatment of patients with atrophic gastritis during diagnosis verification; annual endoscopic and morphological monitoring of patients with atrophic gastritis during permanent treatment; annual serological monitoring of patients with atrophic gastritis who refused endoscopic and morphological monitoring; and radical treatment of patients with verified early gastric cancer. Ways to implement the algorithm for the global strategy for the prevention of gastric cancer (protocol of practical recommendations) are: State, government, and municipal programs; departmental programs of health departments; family doctors for patients who have a contract at the initiative of the doctor; family doctors for patients with a contract at the patient’s initiative; and within private healthcare system where both doctors and patients can initiate the implementation of algorithm.