The Role of Probiotics in the Prevention of Gastric Cancer

Gastric cancer remains a major global health concern, driven by complex interactions among microbial, dietary, genetic, and environmental factors. Among emerging preventive approaches, probiotics have shown significant promise due to their ability to modulate gut microbiota, suppress chronic inflammation, and reinforce epithelial barrier integrity. This review explores the multifactorial mechanisms by which probiotics may inhibit gastric carcinogenesis, with particular emphasis on Helicobacter pylori eradication, immune regulation, and oncogenic pathway modulation. Despite encouraging preclinical and clinical evidence, challenges such as strain specificity, host variability, and safety concerns in vulnerable populations persist. Future research should focus on personalized probiotic therapies, integration with conventional treatments, and rigorous clinical validation to establish probiotics as viable agents in gastric cancer prevention.

Keywords:

Probiotics , Gastric cancer , Helicobacter pylori , Gut microbiota , Inflammation , Epithelial barrier , NF-kB , PI۳K/AKT , Cancer prevention , Microbiome therapy