Stomach Cancer Prevention

Stomach cancer cannot always be prevented, but there are steps you can take to lower your risk. One of the most important preventable causes of stomach cancer is long-term infection with a bacterium called Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). Diet, smoking, weight, family history, and certain inherited genetic conditions can also affect your risk.

Understanding your personal risk factors can help you and your healthcare provider decide which prevention strategies are right for you.

Can stomach cancer be prevented?

Not every case of stomach cancer can be prevented. Some risk factors, such as your age, family history, and inherited genetic mutations, cannot be changed. However, several important stomach cancer risk factors can be addressed. Testing for and treating H. pylori, avoiding tobacco, maintaining a healthy weight, and making healthy dietary choices may help reduce your risk.

Testing for and treating H. pylori

One of the most important steps you can take to reduce your risk of stomach cancer is to know whether you have H. pylori infection and treat it if you do. H. pylori is a bacterium that can live in the stomach lining for many years. Long-term infection can cause chronic inflammation and changes to the stomach lining that may eventually lead to cancer. H. pylori can be detected using several tests, including:

• Breath tests

• Stool antigen tests

• Blood tests

• Biopsy during an upper endoscopy

If you test positive, H. pylori is usually treated with a combination of antibiotics and acid-suppressing medications. Treating the infection reduces inflammation and lowers the risk of developing stomach cancer. People with a family history of stomach cancer, chronic stomach symptoms, or precancerous stomach conditions should ask their doctor whether H. pylori testing is appropriate. The original guide identifies H. pylori as the most important known stomach cancer risk factor and notes that treating the infection lowers stomach cancer risk.

Lifestyle changes that may lower your risk

• Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. A diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables provides vitamins, antioxidants, fiber, and other nutrients that support overall health.

• Limit salted, smoked, preserved, and pickled foods. Diets high in salt and salted, smoked, or pickled foods have been associated with an increased risk of stomach cancer. Try to choose fresh foods more often and limit heavily salted or preserved foods.

• Don't smoke. Smoking increases the risk of stomach cancer as well as many other cancers. If you smoke, quitting can lower your cancer risk and improve your overall health.

• Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight or obese can increase the risk of certain stomach cancers, particularly cancers near the area where the stomach meets the esophagus. Regular physical activity and a balanced diet can help you maintain a healthy weight.

• Limit alcohol. Heavy alcohol use may increase stomach cancer risk. Limiting the amount of alcohol you drink may help reduce your risk.

• Know your family history. Tell your healthcare provider if a parent, sibling, child, or other close relative has been diagnosed with stomach cancer. A strong family history may indicate that you have a higher-than-average risk and could lead your healthcare provider to recommend H. pylori testing, genetic counseling, or additional monitoring.

Genetic testing and inherited stomach cancer risk

A small number of stomach cancers are related to inherited genetic conditions. One of the most important is hereditary diffuse gastric cancer (HDGC), which is most commonly associated with inherited mutations in the CDH1 gene. People with a CDH1 mutation can have a very high lifetime risk of developing diffuse stomach cancer. If you have a strong family history of stomach cancer or a known inherited mutation in your family, your healthcare provider may recommend meeting with a genetic counselor. For some people with a confirmed CDH1 mutation, preventive removal of the stomach (prophylactic gastrectomy) may be recommended because diffuse stomach cancer can be difficult to detect at an early stage.

Take steps to lower your risk

You cannot control every risk factor for stomach cancer, but knowing your personal risk can help you take action. Talk with your healthcare provider about your family history, H. pylori testing, lifestyle, and whether genetic counseling or additional monitoring may be appropriate for you.