BACKGROUND & AIMS It is not clear whether eradication of Helicobacter pylori infection reduces the risk for metachronous gastric carcinoma. We performed a prospective, randomized, open-label trial of the effects of H pylori eradication on the incidence of metachronous carcinoma after endoscopic resection of gastric tumors.

METHODS From April 2005 through February 2011 there were 901 consecutive patients with H pylori infection who had been treated with endoscopic resection for gastric dysplasia or cancer and who were assigned randomly to groups given therapy to eradicate the infection (n = 444) or no therapy (controls, n = 457). The eradication group received 20 mg omeprazole, 1 g amoxicillin, and 500 mg clarithromycin twice daily for 1 week. Patients underwent endoscopic examination 3, 6, and 12 months after treatment, and then yearly thereafter. The primary outcome was development of metachronous gastric carcinoma.

RESULTS During a median follow-up period of 3 years, 10 patients who received H pylori eradication and 17 controls developed metachronous carcinoma; this difference was not significant (P = .15). The incidence of metachronous carcinoma between the 2 groups did not differ significantly at 1, 2, 3, and 4 years after administration of the therapy. There were no significant differences in the development of metachronous carcinoma among patients who were positive (n = 16) or negative (n = 11) for H pylori infection (P = .32).

CONCLUSIONS In this prospective trial, eradication of H pylori after endoscopic resection of gastric tumors did not significantly reduce the incidence of metachronous gastric carcinoma. ClinicalTrials.gov Number: NCT01510730.