Similarly, two other meta-analyses,(36,37)
which addressed the controversial issue regarding the impact
of H. pylori eradication on gastric atrophy and intestinal
metaplasia, showed significant improvement in gastric atrophy
but not gastric intestinal metaplasia. Thus, gastric intestinal
metaplasia is generally regarded as the point of irreversible
histological change.(36,37) Uemura et al,(38)
who were the first to
provide evidence that H. pylori eradication has a direct impact
on gastric cancer occurrence, conducted a non-randomised H.
pylori eradication trial in patients with early gastric cancer treated
by endoscopic resection. After a three-year follow-up period,
9% of the untreated patients developed metachronous gastric
cancer, while none of the patients who underwent H. pylori