WHO: Up to 40% of Cancer Cases Worldwide Are Preventable

Geneva/Lyon — Up to 40 percent of cancer cases worldwide could be prevented, according to a new global analysis conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

 

The study examined 30 preventable risk factors linked to cancer, including tobacco and alcohol use, high body mass index (BMI), physical inactivity, air pollution, and ultraviolet radiation. For the first time, the analysis also included nine infection-related risk factors associated with cancer development.

 

Researchers estimated that 37 percent of new cancer cases in 2022 — about 7.1 million cases — were linked to preventable causes, highlighting the enormous potential of preventive measures to reduce the global cancer burden.

 

The findings, published in the journal Nature Medicine, analyzed data from 185 countries and 36 types of cancer. Tobacco use was identified as the largest preventable cause of cancer globally, accounting for about 15 percent of all new cases, followed by infections and alcohol consumption.

 

Lung cancer, stomach cancer, and cervical cancer together accounted for nearly half of all preventable cancer cases in both men and women. Most lung cancer cases were linked to smoking and air pollution, stomach cancer was largely associated with Helicobacter pylori infection, and nearly all cervical cancer cases were caused by human papillomavirus (HPV).

 

André Ilbawi, head of the WHO’s cancer control program, said the study represents the first global analysis to quantify how much cancer risk is driven by preventable causes. Understanding patterns and trends across countries and populations helps generate more targeted data to support governments and communities in preventing cancer before it develops.

 

The report also found that the proportion of preventable cancer cases is significantly higher among men than women. About 45 percent of new cancer cases in men are preventable, compared with 30 percent in women.

 

Among men, smoking accounted for approximately 23 percent of all new cancer cases, followed by infections (9 percent) and alcohol consumption (4 percent). For women globally, infections accounted for about 11 percent of new cancer cases, followed by smoking (6 percent) and high BMI (3 percent).

 

WHO emphasized that the findings highlight the importance of prevention strategies tailored to local contexts, including stronger tobacco control policies, regulation of alcohol consumption, vaccination against cancer-related infections such as HPV and hepatitis B, improvements in air quality, safer workplaces, and the promotion of healthier diets and physical activity.

 

Source : Xinhua Thai News