Gastric Cancer and Helicobacter Pylori Infection in Lima, Peru: The Role of Water Contamination

Screening: Adults ages 21-70 years old with symptoms of dyspepsia for whom a diagnostic gastric biopsy is indicated and who have lived for more than 10 years in the districts of Lima, Peru listed in the protocol; good general condition, mentally competent and able to provide informed consent.
Step 1: Patients must not show evidence of dehydration or jaundice, be willing to complete the patient questionnaires; Patients must not have known allergies to the antibiotics used in this study; female patients must not be pregnant; patients must not have current or prior malignancy except for adequately treated basal or squamous cell skin cancer, in situ cervical cancer, adequately treated Stage I or II cancer from which the patient has been disease free for 5 years.
Step 2: Patients must have a biopsy proven diagnosis of infection by H. pylori.