Latvia Launches Pilot Study to Test Integrating Gastric Cancer Prevention Into Colorectal Cancer Screening
EUGastScreen
EUGastScreen
In October 2026, a pilot study called EUGastScreen was launched in Latvia as part of the Joint Action EUCanScreen, offering residents the opportunity to complete two screening tests at home free of charge. The study aims to assess whether gastric cancer risk can also be reduced through colorectal cancer screening by evaluating whether combining the two tests into a single screening process is feasible, safe and effective.
Selected Latvian residents aged 50 are being invited to participate in the pilot study, with invitations sent by post to their registered home addresses. Participants will be offered two tests to complete at home: a faecal immunochemical test (FIT), which is already used in colorectal cancer screening to detect hidden blood in stool, and an H. pylori stool antigen test to detect infection with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), a significant risk factor for gastric cancer.
Depending on their test results, participants will be offered further investigations or treatment free of charge, where necessary. General practitioners will be informed electronically of their patients’ participation in the study.
The study is being conducted by the Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Latvia. It will also be carried out in Lithuania, Estonia, Italy and Portugal.
Why is This Study Needed?
Latvia has one of the highest incidences of gastric cancer among European Union countries. One of the most significant risk factors for gastric cancer is infection with the H. pylori bacterium. According to data from the GISTAR study conducted in Latvia, approximately half of the country’s adult population is infected with H. pylori. Early detection and treatment of this infection can help reduce the risk of developing gastric cancer.
The pilot study aims to determine whether H. pylori testing and treatment can be effectively integrated into the existing national colorectal cancer screening programme, thereby supporting the prevention of both cancers. The findings will help improve cancer prevention and early detection strategies in Latvia and other European countries.
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This project has received funding from the European Union’s EU4HEALTH Programme under the Grant Agreement no 101162959