Association between and its eradication and the development of cancer.

BACKGROUND

() is a gram-negative gastrointestinal pathogen that colonises the human stomach and is considered a major risk factor for gastric cancer and mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma. Furthermore, is a potential trigger of a wide spectrum of extragastric cancer entities, extraintestinal chronic inflammatory processes and autoimmune diseases. In the present study, we evaluated the association between infection and its eradication with the development of subsequent gastrointestinal and non-gastrointestinal cancer.

METHODS

We identified 25 317 individuals with and 25 317 matched individuals without a diagnosis of from the Disease Analyzer database (IQVIA). A subsequent cancer diagnosis was analysed using Kaplan-Meier and conditional Cox-regression analysis as a function of and its eradication.

RESULTS

After 10 years of follow-up, 12.8% of the cohort and 11.8% of the non- cohort were diagnosed with cancer (p=0.002). Results were confirmed in regression analysis (HR: 1.11; 95% CI 1.04 to 1.18). Moreover, a non-eradicated status (HR: 1.18; 95% CI 1.07 to 1.30) but not an eradicated status (HR: 1.06; 95% CI 0.97 to 1.15) was associated with a subsequent diagnosis of cancer. In subgroup analyses, eradication was negatively associated with bronchus and lung cancer (HR: 0.60; 95% CI 0.44 to 0.83).

CONCLUSION

Our data from a large outpatient cohort in Germany reveal a distinct association between infection and the subsequent development of cancer. These data might help to identify patients at risk and support eradication strategies in the future.