Helicobacter pylori is associated with an increased risk of which condition?

• A. Gastric carcinoma
• B. Lung cancer
• C. Skin cancer
• D. Pancreatic cancer

Answer: (A)

Chronic infection with Helicobacter pylori drives long-standing inflammation of the stomach lining. Over time this persistent inflammatory process can cause changes in the gastric mucosa, such as atrophic gastritis and intestinal metaplasia, which set the stage for the development of gastric adenocarcinoma, particularly the intestinal type. The bacteria’s virulence factors, like CagA, amplify inflammation and can promote cellular changes that increase cancer risk. While H. pylori is also linked to mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma, the strongest and most well-established cancer association is with gastric carcinoma. The other cancers listed—lung, skin, and pancreatic—do not have a direct, proven link to H. pylori infection.