The most impacted article in 2017: eradication of Helicobacter pylori does not prevent gastric cancer

 

Office Uno Column

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Seta T, Takahashi Y, Noguchi Y, Shikata S, Sakai T, Sakai K, Yamashita Y, Nakayama T.Effectiveness of Helicobacter pylori eradication in the prevention of primary gastric cancer in healthy asymptomatic people: A systematic review and meta-analysis comparing risk ratio with risk difference. PLoS One. 2017 Aug 17;12(8):e0183321.

In a systematic review and meta-analysis, it was reported that helicobacter pylori eradication in healthy asymptomatic people had no prophylactic effect of primary gastric cancer. They examined 3383 papers from 1965 to 2017 and analyzed seven high-level research papers. As a result, they found that gastric carcinogenesis cannot be prevented in follow-up observations for 6 to 7 years, even if H. pylori eradication therapy is performed on asymptomatic H. pylori infected persons.

Reason for high impact: In Japan, for the purpose of suppressing medical expenses by gastric cancer treatment, the national health insurance scheme is also expanded to HP-positive chronic gastritis from 2013, and 140 to 1.5 million people are receiving eradication therapy annually.

Namely, by this article, it is suggested that the preventive effect rate as the base of calculation of cost effectiveness as the reason for its promotion was uncertain.

We must remember 'Kamikaze'.

Many young people made ineffective deaths with hype and false reports. The Japanese army announced that the US navy's warships and aircraft carrier almost sunk by Kamikaze, but in reality most of the ships were not sunk.Onishi shouted before the end of the war. "If we sacrifice 20 million people by 'kamikaze', victory should be ours."