April 15-21, 2024 is the 30th National Cancer Prevention and Control Awareness Week. Gastric cancer is one of the common cancers in China, seriously threatening people's lives and health. Zhang Tao, Secretary of the Party Committee and Director of the Cancer Center of Tongji Medical College Affiliated Union Hospital of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, and Vice President of the Cancer Physician Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, stated in an interview with People's Daily that early detection, diagnosis, and treatment are the key to the prevention and control of gastric cancer. Early screening and treatment are particularly important for early gastric cancer, as the symptoms are not obvious. Gastric cancer is a malignant tumor originating from gastric mucosal epithelial cells. Zhang Tao introduced that the clinical manifestations of early gastric cancer are not obvious and have concealment. The main clinical manifestations include upper abdominal fullness, nausea, vomiting, anorexia, weight loss, black stools, abdominal pain, fatigue, etc. Some patients mistakenly believe that the above symptoms are due to changes in dietary habits or high levels of stress, or may be related to common diseases such as chronic gastritis and indigestion. "When patients experience symptoms such as difficulty swallowing, vomiting, weight loss, and anemia before seeking medical attention, gastric cancer may have already progressed to the middle and late stages," said Zhang Tao. "People aged 45 and above, infected with Helicobacter pylori, with precancerous gastric cancer, family history of gastric cancer, unhealthy diet, long-term heavy drinking and smoking, and long-term poor psychological status are all high-risk groups for gastric cancer." Zhang Tao suggests that early detection and treatment of gastric cancer are particularly important. Gastroscopy is one of the common diagnostic methods for gastric cancer. It is recommended that high-risk individuals for gastric cancer undergo gastroscopy every 1 to 2 years; Non high-risk individuals should undergo a gastroscopy examination starting at the age of 45, and then every 3 to 5 years. Early eradication of Helicobacter pylori reduces the risk of gastric cancer. How to distinguish between gastric cancer, gastric ulcer, and gastritis? Regarding this, Zhang Tao stated that the symptoms of these three are similar, with the main difference being that gastric cancer is a malignant lesion, while gastric ulcer and gastritis are benign lesions. The diagnosis of the three diseases mainly relies on gastroscopy examination and pathological biopsy if necessary. Zhang Tao also stated that gastric cancer patients are mostly middle-aged and elderly, while gastric ulcers are more common in young people. The course of gastric cancer is relatively short, while the course of gastric ulcer is longer and presents periodicity. The pain of gastric cancer is irregular and may gradually worsen, resulting in poor treatment effectiveness; The pain of gastric ulcers is regular, and can be relieved when eating. The symptoms of chronic gastritis are non-specific, and most patients often have asymptomatic or varying degrees of digestive symptoms, such as upper abdominal pain, loss of appetite, postprandial fullness, acid reflux, etc. "It should be noted that Helicobacter pylori infection is the main cause of gastritis and gastric ulcers, as well as a high-risk factor for gastric cancer." Zhang Tao said that Helicobacter pylori is a microaerophilic gram-negative bacterium that is spiral shaped and can be transmitted orally and fecally. After being infected with Helicobacter pylori, early treatment is necessary. If left untreated, it is not only easy to infect people around you, but may also cause diseases such as gastritis, increasing the risk of developing stomach cancer. Infection with Helicobacter pylori may cause various clinical symptoms such as upper abdominal pain, bloating, and bad breath, but there may also be no clinical manifestations. So, how do you determine whether you are infected with Helicobacter pylori? Zhang Tao introduced that the presence of Helicobacter pylori can be observed through staining microscopy of gastric mucosal sections, and corresponding antibodies and antigens can also be detected through blood and stool tests,