 First degree relatives of patients with gastric cancer have a 1.5-fold to 3-fold increased risk of developing gastric cancer themselves Brenner H et al, Cancer 2000;88:274-9. In relatives of gastric cancer patients who are also carriers of a CagA positive strain of H. pylori, the risk is 8-fold. Mucosal atrophy, hypochlorhydria, high lymphoid follicle density, pangastritis, and interleukin 1 β polymorphism are frequent in family members of gastric cancer patients and are associated with increased risk of the disease El-Omar EM et al, Gastroenterology 2000;118:22-30, Sepulveda A et al, Am J Gastroenterol 2002;97:1365-70. 