Stomach cancer is linked to infection, diet and smoking.  Changes in all three factors are linked to a halving of stomach cancer cases in the United Kingdom, says a new study from the leading charity Cancer Research UK. 

Stomach cancer is the seventh most common cause of cancer death and kills 5,600 people in the UK.  But rates of stomach cancer are down in the UK from 14,000 in 1975 to 7,485 in 2006.  The improvement is slightly better among women than men. The main reason is that there has been a decrease in infection with the stomach bacterium Helicobacter pylori which is known to be a major cause of stomach cancer.  In fact, Cancer Research UK scientists discovered the role of H.pylori in stomach cancer as a result of studies in rural China in 1990 and in men in England and Wales in 1991.  Since then, they have been working to raise awareness by having physicians treat the infection, which often occurs with stomach ulcers, so as to reduce the risk of stomach cancer.  Better living conditions have decreased rates of infection.  Also, improvements in food safety have led to fewer chemicals being used in food that might otherwise increase stomach cancer risk.

Furthermore, smoking rates have gone down in the UK in recent years and this has also led to a decrease in stomach cancer.  One in five cases of stomach cancer in Europe is caused by smoking.  Finally, diet has a big influence in stomach cancer, as you might expect.  A poor diet, rich in salt but low in fruit and vegetables increases stomach cancer risk. These new figures show that stomach cancer is largely preventable.  The same applies to other cancers. The Cancer Research UK team concludes that a diet high in fruit, vegetables and fiber, but low in red and processed meat, and in salt, is a good way of reducing the risk of stomach cancer and  other cancers. 

Source

Cancer Research UK August 5 2009