More than one-third of all cancer cases worldwide are preventable, according to a modern analysis from the World Health Organization (WHO). Lung, stomach and cervical cancers account for nearly half of those preventable cases. Which means millions of cancer deaths each year could be avoided through medical interventions, behavioral changes, reducing workplace risks, and combating environmental pollutants. This finding underscores the significant potential for public health initiatives to reduce the global burden of cancer.
“Addressing these preventable causes represents one of the most powerful opportunities to reduce the global cancer burden,” said Isabelle Soerjomataram, medical epidemiologist at the WHO and lead author of the analysis, according to Science Alert.
The study found that nearly 19 million new cancer cases occurred in 2022. Approximately 38% were linked to 30 modifiable risk factors, including smoking, alcohol consumption, high body mass index, insufficient physical activity, smokeless tobacco use, inadequate breastfeeding, air pollution, ultraviolet radiation, infectious agents, and more than a dozen occupational exposures.
The leading preventable factor associated with cancer is tobacco smoking, accounting for 15% of all cancer cases that year. The risk was particularly high among men, with smoking contributing to 23% of all new cancer cases globally within this group.
However, cigarettes aren’t the only concern. Air pollution also plays a significant role, with its impact varying by region. For example, in East Asia, around 15% of lung cancer cases in women were attributed to air pollution. In North Africa and Western Asia, approximately 20% of lung cancer cases in men had the same cause.
Following smoking, the second leading preventable risk factor was alcohol consumption, responsible for 3.2% of all new cancer cases (nearly 700,000 cases).
Infections, meanwhile, were associated with around 10% of new cancer cases. Among women, the largest proportion of preventable cancers was caused by high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV), which can lead to cervical cancer. The findings highlight the importance of continued vaccination and screening efforts.
Stomach cancer cases are more frequent in men and are often linked to smoking and infections associated with overcrowding, inadequate sanitation, and lack of access to potable water.
