This woman (38 years old) was hospitalized with continuous weight loss and bloody stools. After the doctor performed an endoscopy, Ms. H. was shocked to receive the results of acute gastric ulcer, caused by H.P. infection.

H.P. bacteria exist in a spiral form, like a parasite in the human stomach lining, causing gastric ulcers, chronic gastritis, which can lead to stomach cancer if left untreated.

H.P. bacteria is one of the agents that cause gastric ulcers.

Ms. H. said that she likes to eat salty, spicy foods because it tastes good, but did not expect that this habit would lead to serious health consequences. Ms. H. also hesitated to go to the doctor because she was afraid of having to do an endoscopy, which would cause pain, making the disease worse.

The doctor who examined Ms. H. said that the H.P bacteria carrying the CagA gene can cause gastroduodenal ulcers, especially when combined with salt in salty foods. This causes the DNA of gastric mucosal cells to break down, increasing the risk of cancer.

H.P bacteria - the silent enemy leading to stomach cancer

According to Dr. Phan Van Hanh - MD, Endoscopy Center, Bao Son General Hospital, "Many patients like Ms. T.D.H. come to the hospital for examination when the "golden" time for early detection of the disease has passed. At this time, the symptoms have appeared, making the patient tired and unable to bear it anymore before going to the doctor."

According to Dr. Phan Van Hanh, patients should have a general health check-up every year to screen for early cancer, especially stomach cancer. According to statistics from Hanoi Oncology Hospital, stomach cancer ranks second after lung cancer in men and third after breast and cervical cancer in women. The rate of people infected with H.P progressing to stomach cancer is about 1%, so patients should not be subjective with this type of bacteria.

Common symptoms of H.P bacteria include abdominal pain, burning in the abdomen, nausea, vomiting, frequent belching, weight loss, difficulty swallowing, black stools, bloody vomit, black or thick like coffee grounds.

Gastrointestinal endoscopy for early stomach cancer screening

Long-term infection with H.P bacteria causes chronic inflammation in the stomach lining. Chronic inflammation can progress to more severe digestive diseases, even leading to stomach cancer. Therefore, gastroscopy is often prescribed to detect digestive diseases early, which is a prerequisite to prevent the development of stomach cancer.

The endoscopy method will use a flexible tube with a camera inserted through the mouth or nose (upper endoscopy) or from the anus (lower endoscopy) into the digestive tract to visually examine and observe the patient's condition.

Doctor Phan Van Hanh - Bao Son General Hospital is performing a gastric endoscopy on a patient using Japanese NBI technology.

At Bao Son Hospital, in order to help accurately diagnose the patient's digestive condition, doctors have applied NBI digestive endoscopy technology transferred from Japan. This technology uses a narrow band of light, magnifying 100 times, helping to observe deeply and sharply the mucosal layer. Through the endoscopy results, doctors will diagnose stomach lesions caused by H.P. bacteria. From there, there will be appropriate and effective treatment methods.

To bring patients the best experience, overcoming the "fear of endoscopy", Bao Son Hospital has built a super clean, completely sterile endoscopy process, helping the process to be safe and smooth for patients. Painless anesthesia endoscopy using Japanese NBI technology is quick and gentle thanks to the super soft, super small endoscope. After 15 minutes, the endoscopy results are available.

Digestive endoscopy at Bao Son Hospital Endoscopy Center is performed by a team of leading expert doctors such as Doctor CKII - Associate Professor Phan Van Hanh (former head of the Endoscopy Department of the Central Cancer Hospital) with 40 years of experience.