A recent study of 212 chronic gastritis and 103 GC patients in China that used quantitative PCR showed that the bacteria load in the gastric mucosa was increased in cancer patients compared to gastritis patients, and the bacterial load was positively correlated with Hp quantity (R = 0.38, P < 0.001), suggesting Hp colonization in GC patients (Wang et al., 2016). Here, HP is linked to gastritis.