BACKGROUND: In recent years evidence of the association between Helicobacter pylori and gastric cancer has been related by many studies. This work aims both at investigating the prevalence of infection by this micro-organism in patients with gastric cancer from Cancer Hospital Napoleão Laureano (João Pessoa - PB) and at determining the relative risk to the development of this neoplasm in infected patients. METHODS: Sixteen patients with confirmed diagnostic of gastric adenocarcinoma were submited to a high digestive endoscopy so that fragments of the stomach were paired with a group of sixteen controls with normal endoscopic exams. RESULTS: Of the sixteen patients with cancer, 28,1% were infected versus 25% of the control group. Within infected patients, H. pylori was more prevalent among those with distal gastric lesions (43,8%), in Borrmann III (37,6%) and moderately differentiated tumors(37,6%). There was a statistically significant association between the degree of differentiation and the presence of the infection by the H. Pylori (p < 0,10). The estimated relative risk of the association between gastric cancer and H. Pylori infection was 1,28% (odds ratio = 1,28%). CONCLUSION: Based on these results we can conclude that H. Pylori infection is a factor of relative risk for the development of gastric adenocarcinoma.
Helicobacter pylori; Gastric cancer; Infection; Prevalence
