Role of Helicobacter pylori in stomach cancer after partial gastrectomy for benign ulcer disease.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in patients having undergone gastrectomy for non-neoplastic disease who later developed gastric stump cancer.


METHODS
Retrospective study of all patients with partial gastrectomy for non-malignant peptic disease who were submitted to an endoscopic exploration between 1995 and 2001. A comparison was made of major clinical and histological characteristics, and the presence of Helicobacter pylori among patients with and without gastric cancer in the stomach remnant.


RESULTS
A total of 73 patients were studied in this period. Fifteen patients (20.5%) had remnant-stump gastric cancer. All but one were adenocarcinomas (71% intestinal and 29% diffuse, respectively). The average time between diagnosis of gastric cancer and previous gastrectomy was 32 (14-48) years. There was a higher detection rate of Helicobacter pylori in patients with cancer in the gastric remnant (100 vs. 81.5%, respectively, p < 0.07). No relationship was seen between type of gastric reconstruction (Billroth I or II) and rate of Helicobacter pylori detection.


CONCLUSIONS
Helicobacter pylori infection is frequent in patients with previous gastrectomy for non-neoplastic disease. The results of the study suggest that Helicobacter pylori infection may play a role in gastric stump cancer.
Seoane
A
A
Service of Gastroenterology, Hospital del Mar, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Spain. 92847@imas.imim.es
Bessa
X
X
Alameda
F
F
Munné
A
A
Gallen
M
M
Navarro
S
S
O'Callaghan
E
E
Panadès
A
A
Andreu
M
M
Bory
F
F
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D018530:Gastric Stump / Q000473:pathology; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D013276:Stomach Ulcer / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000601:surgery