Gastric precancerous lesions are associated with gene variants in Helicobacter pylori-susceptible ethnic Malays

Core tip: Gastric cancer and its precancerous lesions are exceptionally rare among ethnic Malays. Gene variants may be associated with precancerous lesions in Helicobacter pylori-susceptible Malays. Genome-wide association was performed to identify gene variants in Malays with a spectrum of gastric precancerous lesions. Results indicated that at different phases of the Correa cascade, different gene variants were manifest, but they followed a pattern of progression similar to their histological and clinical stages. It is possible that, in addition to histological staging, gene variant markers may serve to identify different phases of gastric cancer progression in the near future.