Antibiotic treatment for cancer

Researchers have now worked out how stomach bacteria increase risk of gastric cancer.

The discovery of the bacterium Helicobacter pylori in the 1980s has led to the relief of painful stomach symptoms for thousands of people. Where before ulcers or gastritis were thought to be the result of diet or stress, researchers realised that many patients were suffering as a result of the bacteria – easily killed with a strong dose of antibiotics. Now researchers have found out how the bacteria increase a person’s risk of gastric cancer too.

While it’s been known for some time that H pylori increases risk of gastric cancer, no one could pinpoint how this happened. Now researchers from the Institute of Molecular Cancer Research at the University of Zurich have shown how H pylori causes breaks in DNA strands. If the bacterium is killed off within a few hours of infection with antibiotics, the body’s cells are triggered to repair themselves and any damage can be reversed.

Antibiotics

If, however, the bacterium remains in the body, the cell’s repair mechanisms become less effective, so that DNA strands cannot be repaired or are repaired ineffectively, causing cell death or genetic mutations. The researchers say that the degree of damage depends on the duration of the infection, which is why it is important to get treatment if you suspect you may have the bacterial infection.

Gastric cancer is one of the more deadly types of cancer largely because it is often undiagnosed until it reaches the late stages of development. Symptoms include indigestion, acidity, burping, a feeling of fullness, severe pain, feeling sick and difficulty in swallowing. The symptoms of an H pylori infection are similar in some respects: sufferers may also experience indigestion, acidity and burping, as well as pain in the abdominal area and bloating. A simple blood test can confirm whether the bacterium is present in your stomach and you can be given a course of antibiotics which will remove the bacteria from your system.