NEW DELHI, India — Up to four in 10 cancer cases worldwide — an estimated 7.1 million cases — could be prevented, according to a new global analysis released Wednesday by the World Health Organization and its International Agency for Research on Cancer.
The study, published on World Cancer Day on February 4, identified tobacco use as the single largest preventable cause of cancer globally, accounting for 15 percent of all new cancer cases.
For the first time, the analysis also found that nine cancer-causing infections are responsible for about 10 percent of cancer cases worldwide. Other major preventable risk factors include alcohol consumption, high body mass index, physical inactivity, air pollution, and ultraviolet radiation.
Based on data from 185 countries and 36 cancer types, the report estimated that 37 percent of all new cancer cases diagnosed in 2022 were linked to preventable causes.
Three cancers — lung, stomach, and cervical — accounted for nearly half of all preventable cancer cases in both men and women globally. Lung cancer was largely associated with smoking and air pollution, stomach cancer was primarily linked to Helicobacter pylori infection, and cervical cancer was overwhelmingly caused by human papillomavirus.
“This is the first global analysis to show how much cancer risk comes from causes we can prevent,” said Dr. Ilbawi, WHO team lead for cancer control and an author of the study.
“By examining patterns across countries and population groups, we can provide governments and individuals with more specific information to help prevent many cancer cases before they start,” he added.
The burden of preventable cancer was significantly higher among men than women. The study found that 45 percent of new cancer cases in men were linked to preventable causes, compared with 30 percent in women.
Among men, smoking accounted for an estimated 23 percent of new cancer cases, followed by infections at 9 percent and alcohol at 4 percent. Among women globally, infections were responsible for 11 percent of cancer cases, followed by smoking at 6 percent and high body mass index at 3 percent.
The findings highlight the need for targeted prevention strategies, including stronger tobacco control policies, alcohol regulation, vaccination against cancer-causing infections such as human papillomavirus and hepatitis B, improved air quality, safer workplaces, and healthier food and physical activity environments.
The study noted that reducing exposure to preventable risk factors not only lowers cancer incidence but also helps reduce long-term health care costs and improves overall population health and well-being. (Source: IANS)
