Gastric (stomach) cancer is the leading cause of death in Tibetan people. Its strongest risk factor is chronic infection with the bacterium Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), though infection alone may not result in gastric cancer; ZTB also conducts integrated screening for H. pylori. The age at which H. pylori infection is acquired modulates gastric cancer risk, since infection in high-risk areas is usually acquired in childhood. These cancers occur more frequently in regions where childhood infection is common. It appears that interactions between H. pylori, environmental carcinogens, and genetic risk factors initiate molecular changes that cause this devastating disease.
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