IARC and the National Cancer Center of Korea mark 10 years of the HELPER study

Researchers from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the National Cancer Center of the Republic of Korea marked 10 years since initiating the collaborative study on the Effect of Helicobacter pylori Eradication on Gastric Cancer Prevention (HELPER) in the Republic of Korea by holding meetings with research staff and investigators from 12 study centres throughout the country during March 2024.

The HELPER study is a randomized controlled clinical trial to evaluate the effect of H. pylori eradication for gastric cancer prevention among a study population of almost 12 000 participants.

HELPER is a major effort by the National Cancer Center of Korea to reduce the burden of gastric cancer in the Republic of Korea and is expected to have a major impact in guiding gastric cancer prevention worldwide. IARC is actively engaged in the study by strategizing ways to improve follow-up and by organizing regular meetings with the international Data and Safety Monitoring Board to safeguard the interests of study participants and ensure the scientific validity of the study.

Through such international collaborations, IARC contributes to reducing the global burden of gastric cancer by producing robust evidence to increase the understanding of its causes and the understanding of the effects of population-based interventions and prevention programmes. Ultimately, better understanding of these topics should support the implementation of evidence-based interventions for the prevention and control of gastric cancer and their practical application worldwide.

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Read more about the IARC Gastric Cancer Prevention Team