We are pleased to announce the recipients of the National Research Grant Round 2025.
Dr Andrea Teng
Read about Dr Andrea Teng, one of our grant recipients.
Dr Andrea Teng
University of Otago
Project Grant - $200,000 over 2 years
H. pylori screen-and-treat to prevent stomach cancer: is the treatment working?
Most people with stomach cancer (about 9 in 10) have had a long-term infection with a bacteria called H. pylori that contributed/caused their cancer. Māori and Pacific populations have higher rates of stomach cancer than NZ Europeans and this is primarily due to untreated H. pylori infection. Checking adults for H. pylori infection can halve the risk of getting stomach cancer and has been recommended for higher-risk populations. Initial treatment for H. pylori in Aotearoa is with two antibiotics and a medicine to reduce stomach acid. However, resistance to one of these antibiotics may be limiting how well the treatment works.
There is rising international interest in checking and treating H. pylori (screen-and-treat) for stomach cancer prevention. We want to understand how to best introduce this approach to Aotearoa. This study will assess the acceptability and effectiveness of current treatment practices between ethnicities and learn from the experiences of people who have been treated for H. pylori. The results will help develop a screening and treatment programme that is both fair and effective for the prevention and treatment of stomach cancer in Aotearoa.