Preventing Metachronous Gastric Cancer after the Endoscopic Resection of Gastric Epithelial Neoplasia: Roles of Helicobacter pylori Eradication and Aspirin

Metachronous lesions after gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection: first assessment of the FAMISH prediction score

BACKGROUND

Surveillance after gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is recommended for all patients owing to the persistent risk of metachronous gastric lesions (MGLs). We developed and validated a prediction score to estimate MGL risk after ESD for early neoplastic gastric lesions, to define an individualized and cost-saving approach.

METHODS

Clinical predictors and a risk score were derived from meta-analysis data. A retrospective, single-center, cohort study including patients with ≥ 3 years of standardized surveillance after ESD was conducted for score validation. Predictive accuracy of the score by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was assessed and cumulative probabilities of MGL were estimated.

RESULTS

The risk score (0-9 points) included six clinical predictors (scored 0-3): positive family history of gastric cancer, older age, male sex, corpus intestinal metaplasia, synchronous gastric lesions, and persistent Helicobacter pylori infection (FAMISH). The study population included 263 patients. The MGL rate was 16 %. The score diagnostic accuracy for predicting MGL at 3 years' follow-up, measured by the AUC, was 0.704 (95 %CI 0.603-0.806). At 3 years and a cutoff < 2, the score achieved maximal sensitivity and negative predictive value; 15 % of patients could be assigned to a low-risk group, in which the progression to MGL was significantly lower than for the high-risk group (P = 0.04).

CONCLUSION

The FAMISH score might be a useful tool to accurately identify patients with low-to-intermediate risk for MGL at 3 years of follow-up who could have surveillance intervals extended to reduce the burden of care.

Optimizing Helicobacter pylori Treatment: An Updated Review of Empirical and Susceptibility Test-Based Treatments

As the rate of discovery of drug-resistant Helicobacter pylori cases increases worldwide, the relevant societies have updated their guidelines for primary eradication regimens. A promising strategy against drug-resistant H. pylori is tailored therapy based on the results of an antibiotic susceptibility test; however, it is difficult to apply this strategy to all cases. Although culture-based antibiotic susceptibility tests can assess resistance to any antimicrobial agent, their greatest disadvantage is the time required to draw a conclusion. In contrast, molecular-based methods, such as polymerase chain reaction, can rapidly determine the presence of resistance, although a single test can only test for one type of antimicrobial agent. Additionally, the limited availability of facilities for molecular-based methods has hindered their widespread use. Therefore, low-cost, minimally invasive, simple, and effective primary regimens are needed. Several studies have compared the efficacy of the latest primary eradication regimens against that of tailored therapies, and their results have shaped guidelines. This article reviews the latest research on empirical and tailored treatments for H. pylori infections. Evidence for the superiority of tailored therapy over empirical therapy is still limited and varies by region and treatment regimen. A network meta-analysis comparing different empirical treatment regimens showed that vonoprazan triple therapy provides a superior eradication effect. Recently, favorable results towards vonoprazan dual therapy have been reported, as it reached eradication levels similar to those of vonoprazan triple therapy. Both vonoprazan dual therapy and tailored therapy based on antibiotic susceptibility tests could contribute to future treatment strategies.

Factors associated with heterochronic gastric cancer development post-endoscopic mucosal dissection in early gastric cancer patients

BACKGROUND

Endoscopic mucosal resection is an innovative method for treating early gastric cancer and has been widely used in clinical practice.

AIM

To analyze the factors associated with the development of heterochronic gastric cancer in patients with early gastric cancer who had undergone endoscopic mucosal dissection (EMD).

METHODS

A cohort of patients with early gastric cancer treated using EMD was retrospectively analyzed, and patients who developed heterochronic gastric cancer after the surgery were compared with those who did not. The effects of patient age, sex, tumor size, pathological type, and surgical technique on the development of heterochronic gastric cancer were assessed using statistical analysis.

RESULTS

Of the 300 patients with early gastric cancer, 150 patients developed heterochronic gastric cancer after EMD. Statistical analysis revealed that patient age (P value = XX), sex (P value = XX), tumor size (P value = XX), pathological type (P value = XX), and surgical technique (P value = XX) were significantly associated with the occurrence of heterochronic gastric cancer.

CONCLUSION

Age, sex, tumor size, pathological type, and surgical technique are key factors influencing the occurrence of heterochronic gastric cancer after EMD in patients with early gastric cancer. To address these factors, postoperative follow-up and management should be strengthened to improve the prognosis and survival rate of patients.

Aspirin Use Is Not Associated with the Risk of Metachronous Gastric Cancer in Patients without Helicobacter pylori Infection

Introduction: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication can prevent metachronous gastric cancer (MGC) after the performance of an endoscopic resection for early gastric cancer (EGC). However, 50% of infections persist after eradication, and the identification of MGC protective factors is important. The anti-tumor activity of aspirin has been demonstrated, but its efficacy in preventing MGC remains controversial. We evaluated the effect of aspirin on metachronous recurrence in H. pylori-negative patients. Methods: A total of 4351 patients were evaluated between January 2007 and December 2016, and 2151 patients who met the inclusion criteria were analyzed. The primary outcome was the cumulative incidence of MGC after an endoscopic resection for EGC. Results: During a 5-year median follow-up (interquartile range, 3.5–6.2), MGC developed in 176 (7.7%) patients, with a cumulative incidence of 89.4% in aspirin users and 92.7% in non-users; this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.64). The duration of aspirin uses and the occurrence of MGC in both groups were not significantly different. There was no significant difference between groups when the duration of aspirin use was categorized into ≤1 year (hazard ratio (HR), 0.64; 0.20–2.01, p = 0.45), 1–4 years (HR, 1.35; 0.66–2.76, p = 0.41), and >4 years (HR, 1.17; 0.67–2.03, p = 0.58). Conclusions: Aspirin use was not associated with a lower risk of MGC in H. pylori-negative patients. Further prospective studies are needed.

Association of Helicobacter pylori Infection and Host Cytokine Gene Polymorphism with Gastric Cancer

The global cancer burden of new cases of various types rose with millions of death in 2018. Based on the data extracted by GLOBOCAN 2018, gastric cancer (GC) is the third leading cause of mortality related to cancer across the globe. Carcinogenic or oncogenic infections associated with Helicobacter pylori (Hp) are regarded as one of the essential risk factors for GC development. It contributes to the increased production of cytokines that cause inflammation prior to their growth in the host cells. Hp infections and specific types of polymorphisms within the host cells encoding cytokines are significant contributors to the host's increased susceptibility in terms of the development of GC. Against the backdrop of such an observation is that only a small portion of the cells infected can become malignant. The diversities are a consequence of the differences in the pathogenic pathway of the Hp, susceptibility of the host, environmental conditions, and interplay between these factors. It is evident that hosts carrying cytokine genes with high inflammatory levels and polymorphism tend to exhibit an increased risk of development of GC, with special emphasis being placed on the host cytokines gene polymorphisms.

Use of Antibiotics and Probiotics Reduces the Risk of Metachronous Gastric Cancer after Endoscopic Resection

Metachronous gastric cancer often occurs after endoscopic resection. Appropriate management, including chemoprevention, is required after the procedure. This study was performed to evaluate the association between medication use and the incidence of metachronous gastric cancer after endoscopic resection. This multicenter retrospective cohort study was conducted with data from nine hospital databases on patients who underwent endoscopic resection for gastric cancer between 2014 and 2019. The primary outcome was the incidence of metachronous gastric cancer. We evaluated the associations of metachronous gastric cancer occurrence with medication use and clinical factors. Hazard ratios were adjusted by age and Charlson comorbidity index scores, with and without consideration of sex, smoking status, and receipt of Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy during the study period. During a mean follow-up period of 2.55 years, 10.39% (140/1347) of all patients developed metachronous gastric cancer. The use of antibiotics other than those used for H. pylori eradication was associated with a lower incidence of metachronous gastric cancer than was non-use (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 0.56, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.38-0.85, p = 0.006). Probiotic drug use was also associated with a lower incidence of metachronous gastric cancer compared with non-use (aHR 0.29, 95% CI 0.091-0.91, p = 0.034). In conclusion, the use of antibiotics and probiotic drugs was associated with a decreased risk of metachronous gastric cancer. These findings suggest that the gut microbiome is associated with metachronous gastric cancer development.