A new paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine marks an important step forward in global efforts to prevent gastric cancer. The publication presents the conclusions of an expert group convened by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), translating years of research into practical guidance for implementation.

The paper is based on IARC’s recent Working Group Report on population-based Helicobacter pylori screen-and-treat strategies for gastric cancer prevention. Among the co-authors is Zorana Maravic, CEO of Digestive Cancers Europe, who contributes a patient advocacy perspective to the work.

From evidence to implementation

Gastric cancer remains a major global health challenge and is strongly linked to infection with Helicobacter pylori. While scientific evidence has long shown that detecting and treating this infection can significantly reduce the risk of developing gastric cancer, implementation at the population level has remained limited.

Rather than introducing new recommendations, the IARC work provides a clear, practical framework for countries on how to implement screening and prevention strategies effectively.

This includes guidance on programme design, testing approaches, treatment strategies, quality assurance, and monitoring, recognising that successful implementation depends on adapting approaches to different health systems and population needs.

The patient perspective: insights from TOGAS

Digestive Cancers Europe (DiCE) contributed to this body of work through the TOGAS project, funded under the EU4Health programme.

As part of TOGAS, DiCE conducted a large-scale general population survey involving more than 19,000 citizens across 19 countries to better understand awareness, attitudes, and barriers related to gastric cancer prevention and screening.

The findings highlight that:

• Awareness of gastric cancer and its risk factors remains low
• Willingness to participate in screening varies across countries
• Trust and clear communication are key to improving uptake

These insights underscore a crucial point: screening programmes will succeed only if they are designed with people in mind, not just systems.

Driving innovation: the AIDA project

In parallel, DiCE is contributing to advancing early detection through its involvement in the AIDA Project, funded under Horizon Europe.

AIDA is developing an artificial intelligence-based clinical decision support tool to help identify individuals at higher risk of gastric cancer at earlier stages. By integrating different types of health data, the project aims to help clinicians detect precancerous conditions earlier and improve personalised prevention strategies.

Together with population-based approaches such as H. pylori screening, innovations like AIDA represent an important step towards earlier detection and more targeted prevention.

A shared opportunity

The IARC report and the NEJM publication represent a significant milestone: the evidence is clear, and practical guidance is now available.

The focus must now shift to implementation.

By combining scientific evidence, patient insights from projects like TOGAS, and innovation through initiatives such as AIDA, there is a real opportunity to reduce the burden of gastric cancer across Europe and beyond.

Author:

Zorana Maravic