WHO: Nearly 40% of Global Cancer Cases Are Preventable
On the eve of World Cancer Day, the World Health Organization released its latest global research report, pointing out that if people avoid a range of risk factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption and air pollution, nearly 40% of cancer cases could be prevented.
The report, released on Tuesday (February 3) by WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer, estimates that of all new cancer cases in 2022, about 37.8% (roughly 7.1 million) were related to preventable factors, highlighting the enormous potential of prevention in reducing the global cancer burden.
The report says the new study examined 30 preventable carcinogenic factors—including smoking, alcohol consumption, excess body mass index (BMI), physical inactivity and air pollution—as well as nine infections that can cause cancer.
The study, published in the journal Nature Medicine, covered data from multiple countries worldwide and 36 cancer types. It identified smoking as the leading preventable carcinogenic factor globally, causing 15% of all new cancer cases, followed by cancer-causing infections (10%) and alcohol consumption (3%).
Ilbawi, who wrote the report, stated in a release: "This is the first global analysis that reveals how much cancer risk stems from factors that can be prevented." He is also head of WHO's cancer control team.
He added: "By analyzing cancer patterns in different countries and populations, we can provide governments and individuals with more specific information to help prevent many cancer cases."
According to the findings, globally, lung, stomach and cervical cancers account for nearly half of all preventable cancer cases. Lung cancer is mainly associated with smoking and air pollution; stomach cancer is largely attributed to Helicobacter pylori infection; and the vast majority of cervical cancer is caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV).
In addition, 45% of new cancers in men are preventable, compared with 30% in women; among new cancers in men, about 23% are related to smoking, while in women about 11% are related to infection, followed by smoking (6%) and high BMI (3%). In sub-Saharan Africa, infectious factors dominate, with about 80% of preventable cancers in women related to infection.
This means that any measures to reduce cancer must be tailored to local conditions. The report emphasizes that prevention strategies include adopting strong tobacco control measures, regulating alcohol use, vaccinating against HPV and other viral infections, improving air quality, strengthening workplace safety, and promoting healthier dietary patterns.
Dain, chief executive of the NCD Alliance, told AFP: "If we want to reduce the burden of cancer, we must also reduce the burden of noncommunicable diseases. There is no doubt that tobacco, alcohol, ultra-processed foods and air quality are major drivers of many cancers."