Tobacco use and cancer-causing infections remain the biggest drivers of preventable cancer worldwide, according to a new global report released by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) ahead of World Cancer Day on 4 February.
The analysis estimates that 37% of all new cancer cases are recorded in 2022, about 7.1 million cases, were linked to preventable risk factors, with smoking alone accounting for 15% and infections for 10% of the global cancer burden.
Alcohol consumption was identified as the third leading preventable cause, responsible for 3% of new cases.
Drawing on data from 185 countries and 36 cancer types, the study examined 30 modifiable cancer risk factors, including behavioural, environmental, occupational and infectious causes.
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For the first time, a global cancer assessment has included nine infections known to cause cancer, underscoring the increasing role of prevention through vaccination, early diagnosis and timely treatment.
The analysis found that lung, stomach and cervical cancers together accounted for almost half of all preventable cancer cases worldwide among both men and women.
Lung cancer was mainly associated with tobacco use and air pollution, stomach cancer was largely linked to Helicobacter pylori infection, while human papillomavirus (HPV) was identified as the dominant cause of cervical cancer.
Speaking on the findings, Dr Rengaswamy Ilbawi, WHO Team Lead for Cancer Control and one of the authors, said the report clearly demonstrates how much of the global cancer burden arises from avoidable causes.
“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 said.
The report revealed significant gender disparities in preventable cancer cases. About 45% of new cancers in men were linked to preventable risk factors, compared with 30% among women. Smoking accounted for nearly a quarter of cancer cases in men, followed by infections and alcohol consumption.
Among women, infections were the leading preventable cause, responsible for 11% of new cases, ahead of smoking and high body mass index.
There were also wide regional variations. Preventable cancers among women ranged from 24% in North Africa and West Asia to 38 per cent in sub-Saharan Africa. For men, East Asia had the highest proportion at 57%, while Latin America and the Caribbean recorded the lowest at 28%.
According to Dr Isabelle Soerjomataram, Deputy Head of the IARC Cancer Surveillance Unit and senior author of the study, these differences reflect variations in exposure to risk factors, levels of economic development, prevention strategies and the strength of health systems across regions.
The WHO said the findings highlight the urgent need to strengthen tobacco control, regulate alcohol use, expand HPV and hepatitis B vaccination, improve air quality, ensure safer working conditions and promote healthier diets and physical activity.
It added coordinated action across sectors, including health, education, transport, energy and labour, could substantially reduce cancer rates, ease pressure on health systems and protect millions of families from the social and economic impact of the disease.
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