International Experts Work on New Maastricht VII/Florence Guidelines for H. pylori Treatment

From 5 to 6 November, the international “Helicobacter Pylori: Global Consensus Conference” took place in Fiesole, near Florence, Italy. Leading experts from around the world gathered to update international guidelines on the diagnosis, treatment and management of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection.

H. pylori is a bacterium found in the stomach that is associated with the development of gastric cancer. Among the experts contributing to the development of the guidelines is Professor Marcis Leja, Scientific Lead of the Joint Action EUCanScreen.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Maastricht guidelines, which have been updated approximately every five years since their introduction. This is the seventh revision of the guidelines, which are followed by healthcare professionals across Europe, including Latvia. Many countries in Europe and elsewhere also use them as a basis for their national recommendations.

Regular updates to the guidelines are essential, as new scientific evidence emerges every year. Recommendations must therefore evolve to reflect the latest evidence and current circumstances.

On the first day of the conference, Professor Leja participated in two expert panel discussions focusing on gastric cancer prevention and the impact of H. pylori infection on public health. The discussions examined the effectiveness of population screening, diagnostic methods suitable for population-based testing, and the cost-effectiveness of prevention programmes. Experts also addressed the identification of high-risk groups and the early detection of gastric cancer.

The conference brought together representatives of leading universities and research centres from Europe, Asia, North America, Africa and Australia.

Photo: Professor Marcis Leja with the Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine (ICPM) collaboration partners and working group members (from left): Arnoldo Riquelme (Chile) and Bojan Tepeš (Slovenia).