[Gastric Cancer Prevention: Latin American Context and Experience]

Gastric cancer is a multifactorial disease, and chronic Helicobacter pylori infection is one of its main causes. It receives little attention in the West, with few preventive policies, especially in countries such as Argentina, which is considered 'low risk.' But both in Argentina and in the United States, the population is heterogeneous, with permanent immigration from countries with high or intermediate risk, with the highest susceptibility in the male population. It is estimated that the incidence will increase due to the aging of the population. In recent years, new evidence for its prevention has emerged. The main strategy for primary prevention is the eradication of Helicobacter pylori, while secondary prevention for heterogeneous countries such as Argentina is based on the identification of risk groups, particularly those with the so-called precursor lesions of gastric cancer. This narrative review explores all these strategies with a 'strong bias' towards the situation in Argentina, Chile and Latin America.