The Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine (KPMI) of the University of Latvia (LU), which is the leading partner of the study "Towards Gastric Cancer Screening in the European Union" (TOGAS), has started a study in Rēzekne on the detection and treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection in young people in the population. The study will run until April 1, 2026, and is expected to include 300 to 400 participants aged 30 to 34.
During the study it is planned to detect Helicobacter pylori and eradicate the bacterium in a group of 30- to 34-year-old young people. Based on the obtained results, the participation level of the invited individuals in the study will be analyzed, Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy and its side effects will be evaluated. The results of the study will provide essential information needed for the development and implementation of a strategy for a gastric cancer screening program in the EU. Experts from the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer will develop recommendations for the implementation of gastric cancer prevention measures and their effectiveness evaluation at the European level. The established guidelines and recommendations will help European countries to include these gastric cancer prevention measures in their health care priorities.
"The aim of the project is to develop recommendations for the introduction of gastric cancer screening in EU countries. In order to achieve this, three large-scale pilot studies are being conducted, with the help of which various aspects of gastric cancer screening and early diagnosis are being developed over a period of 36 months," said Linda Mežmale, LU KPMI researcher.
This type of research is needed because there is currently a lack of effective gastric cancer screening methods in Europe. Current research shows that the eradication of the bacterium Helicobacter pylori, which lives in the stomach and promotes the development of stomach cancer, could reduce the number of deaths caused by stomach cancer by as much as 40%, so it is essential to find ways to implement this prevention in practice.
Cooperates with partners in other countries
LU KPMI started managing the TOGAS project in 2023. In it, under the leadership of Latvian researchers, more than 20 partners from 14 European countries are working on guidelines for the implementation of gastric cancer screening and recommendations for evaluating the effectiveness of screening. The pilot study "Determination and treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection in the population of young people" will be implemented not only in Latvia, but also in other EU countries - Slovenia, Ireland, Croatia, Poland, Romania.
The exact methodology of gastric cancer screening implementation in the TOGAS project will be complemented by the project (Accelerating gastric cancer reduction in Europe through Helicobacter pylori eradication - EUROHELICAN). LU KPMI is doing it in cooperation with scientists in France and Slovenia. Based on the research results, the experts of the World Health Organization's International Cancer Research Agency will develop recommendations for the implementation of gastric cancer prevention measures and their effectiveness evaluation at the European level. The established guidelines and recommendations will help European countries to include these gastric cancer prevention measures in their health care priorities. It is expected that they could later be adapted for use globally.
Eastern Europe has poor morbidity rates
Stomach cancer is the fifth most common and fourth deadliest cancer in the world. Approximately one million new cases of stomach cancer were detected, and almost 800 thousand people died in 2020. After East Asia, the highest incidence rates of stomach cancer in the world are in Central and Eastern Europe.
In these regions, stomach cancer is most often detected late, so the probability that patients will survive the next five years is significantly worse - only 19 to 30% of cases. Despite recent advances in cancer therapy, five-year survival rates in most European countries have not significantly improved in recent decades.
Involved in cancer research processes on a European scale
LU KPMI was established in 2016. It has become not only a leader in cancer research in Latvia, but also an important participant in cancer research processes on a European and global scale. Currently, several projects supporting the European Union's Cancer Mission and the European Union's Plan to Defeat Cancer are underway at the institute.
Since 2013 LU KPMI researchers have been leading the GISTAR research on the possibilities of digestive system tumor prevention, which is under the supervision of the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer, and is the only research of its kind in Europe. With its help, new options for digestive system cancer screening, early diagnosis and treatment are sought and developed.
Also, the institute in Latvia coordinates the project "Improving Cancer Care Coordination and Screening in Latvia and Slovakia" (ICCCS), in which European and global cancer experts evaluate Latvian cancer care practice and provide recommendations for its improvement, as well as other issues related to health prevention, treatment and care.
The project "Joint action on the implementation of the cancer screening scheme" (EUCanScreen) is also being implemented under the leadership of LU KPMI. It envisages the introduction of effective cancer prevention and early diagnosis in all European countries, using uniform, evidence-based screening methods, with particular emphasis on reducing inequalities among European countries. LU KPMI is responsible for both the successful implementation of the entire project and administrative issues, as well as being involved in all work directions and stages of the project, which are related to the analysis of the sustainability of cancer screening and the development of recommendations. In total, 29 institutions nominated by national health ministries are involved in the project, forming a partnership of 97 institutions. In Latvia, the project will be implemented in cooperation with the Center for Disease Prevention and Control of the Ministry of Health, Riga Stradiņš University and Pauls Stradiņš Clinical University Hospital.
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