Economic and health impacts of introducing Helicobacter pylori eradication strategy into national gastric cancer policy in Japan: A cost‐effectiveness analysis

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication reduces gastric cancer risk. Since 2013, a population‐wide H. pylori eradication strategy for patients with chronic gastritis has begun to prevent gastric cancer in Japan. The aim of this study was to evaluate the economic and health effects of H. pylori eradication strategy in national gastric cancer prevention program. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We developed a cohort state‐transition model for H. pylori eradication and no eradication over a lifetime horizon from a healthcare payer perspective, and performed one‐way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses. We targeted a hypothetical cohort of H. pylori‐positive patients aged 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, and 80. The main outcomes were costs, quality‐adjusted life‐years (QALYs), life expectancy life‐years (LYs), incremental cost‐effectiveness ratios, gastric cancer cases, and deaths from gastric cancer. RESULTS: H. pylori eradication was more effective and cost‐saving for all age groups than no eradication. Sensitivity analyses showed strong robustness of the results. From 2013‐2019 for 8.50 million patients, H. pylori eradication saved US$3.75 billion, increased 11.11 million QALYs and 0.45 million LYs, and prevented 284,188 cases and 65,060 deaths. For 35.59 million patients without eradication, H. pylori eradication has the potential to save US$14.82 billion, increase 43.10 million QALYs and 1.66 million LYs, and prevent 1,084,532 cases and 250,256 deaths. CONCLUSIONS: National policy using population‐wide H. pylori eradication to prevent gastric cancer has significant cost savings and health impacts for young‐, middle‐, and old‐aged individuals in Japan. The findings strongly support the promotion of H. pylori eradication strategy for all age groups in high‐incidence countries.