A new report from the United Nations World Health Organization has delivered a powerful and hopeful message in the global fight against cancer: nearly four in ten cancer cases worldwide are preventable. Released on the eve of World Cancer Day, the study identifies clear, actionable steps that governments and individuals can take to avert millions of diagnoses and save countless lives.
The research, a collaboration between the WHO and its International Agency for Research on Cancer, provides the most detailed global analysis to date of cancer’s preventable causes. For the first time, the study integrates nine cancer-causing infections—such as human papillomavirus (HPV) and hepatitis B—alongside long-recognized risks like tobacco, alcohol, air pollution, and unhealthy diets. The data paints a clear picture: in 2022 alone, approximately 7.1 million new cancer cases, representing 37 percent of the global total, were directly linked to these modifiable factors.
Tobacco use stands out as the single largest driver, responsible for 15 percent of all new cancer cases globally. Infections follow as the second leading cause, accounting for 10 percent of cases, with alcohol consumption contributing another 3 percent. The most common preventable cancers—lung, stomach, and cervical—highlight distinct pathways to prevention, from quitting smoking and improving air quality to receiving vaccinations and treating bacterial infections.
The report reveals significant disparities in how these risks affect different populations. Men bear a substantially higher burden, with 45 percent of their cancer cases linked to preventable causes, compared to 30 percent for women. Smoking accounts for nearly a quarter of all cancer cases in men, while in women, infections like HPV are the leading preventable risk. These patterns also shift dramatically across regions, influenced by local exposure, socioeconomic development, and the strength of national health policies.
Dr. André Ilbawi, WHO Team Lead for Cancer Control and an author of the study, emphasized that these findings are a call for targeted action. “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 stated.
The WHO stresses that reversing the current trajectory—which forecasts a 50 percent surge in new cancer cases by 2040—requires coordinated, cross-sector strategies. These include enforcing strong tobacco and alcohol control measures, ensuring widespread access to vaccinations against HPV and hepatitis B.
Source: UN News
