Up to four in 10 cancer cases worldwide could be avoided, according to a new analysis by the World Health Organization and its International Agency for Research on Cancer, released in a press statement on Tuesday.
Published ahead of World Cancer Day on 4 February, the analysis shows that 37 percent of new cancer cases diagnosed in 2022, around 7.1 million cases, were linked to causes that can be prevented.
The study looked at 30 known risk factors, including tobacco use, alcohol consumption, high body weight, lack of physical activity, air pollution, ultraviolet radiation, and, for the first time, nine cancer-causing infections.
Based on data from 185 countries and 36 types of cancer, the analysis identifies tobacco as the biggest preventable cause of cancer worldwide, accounting for 15 percent of new cases. Cancer-causing infections follow at 10 percent, while alcohol consumption accounts for 3 percent.
Three types of cancer, lung, stomach, and cervical, make up nearly half of all preventable cancer cases among both men and women globally. Lung cancer is mainly linked to smoking and air pollution, stomach cancer is largely caused by Helicobacter pylori infection, and cervical cancer is almost entirely caused by the human papillomavirus.
“This is the first global analysis to show how much cancer risk comes from causes we can prevent,” said Dr André Ilbawi, World Health Organization team lead for cancer control and one of the study’s authors. “By examining patterns across countries and population groups, we can give governments and individuals clearer information to help prevent many cancer cases before they begin.”
The burden of preventable cancer is much higher among men than women. The analysis shows that 45 percent of new cancer cases in men are linked to preventable causes, compared with 30 percent in women.
Among men, smoking accounts for 23 percent of cases, followed by infections at 9 percent, and alcohol at 4 percent. Among women, infections account for 11 percent, followed by smoking at 6 percent and high body weight at 3 percent.
“This landmark study offers a comprehensive assessment of preventable cancer worldwide,” said Dr Isabelle Soerjomataram, deputy head of the cancer surveillance unit at the International Agency for Research on Cancer and senior author of the study.
She added that addressing these risks is one of the strongest opportunities to reduce the global cancer burden.
Preventable cancer rates vary widely between regions, reflecting differences in exposure to risk factors, national prevention policies, and health system capacity.
The findings highlight the need for tailored prevention strategies, including strong tobacco control, alcohol regulation, vaccination against cancer-causing infections, improved air quality, safer workplaces, and healthier diets and physical activity environments.
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