Translated with AI
Four out of ten cancer cases worldwide are preventable, according to a new global analysis by the World Health Organization and the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the UN press service reported.
The study was published on the eve of World Cancer Day, celebrated on February 4. The analysis covers data from 185 countries on 36 types of cancer and assesses the impact of 30 preventable risk factors, including tobacco and alcohol consumption, high body mass index, low physical activity, air pollution, and exposure to ultraviolet radiation.
Experts estimate that in 2022, approximately 7.1 million new cancer cases, representing 37 percent of the total, were associated with avoidable risk factors. The authors emphasize that the findings clearly demonstrate the significant potential of prevention in reducing the global burden of cancer.
According to the study, smoking remains the leading preventable cause of cancer, accounting for 15 percent of all new cases. Infections are second, accounting for 10 percent of new diagnoses. Alcohol consumption is the third leading cause, accounting for 3 percent of cases.
It is noted that almost half of all preventable cancer cases worldwide are associated with three types of cancer: lung, stomach, and cervical cancer. Lung cancer is primarily caused by smoking and air pollution, stomach cancer by Helicobacter pylori infection, and cervical cancer by the human papillomavirus.
Dr André Ilbawi, Director of the WHO Cancer Control Programme, said this is the first global analysis that clearly shows the scale of the impact of preventable risk factors and empowers countries and communities to take more effective action to reduce their risk of developing cancer.
The study also revealed significant gender differences. Among men, preventable factors account for 45 percent of new cancer cases, compared to 30 percent among women. The main risk factors for men are smoking, infections, and alcohol consumption, while for women, they are infections, smoking, and a high body mass index.
Significant differences were also found across regions. Among women, the proportion of preventable cancer cases ranges from 24 percent in Northern Africa and Western Asia to 38 percent in sub-Saharan Africa. Among men, rates range from 28 percent in Latin America and the Caribbean to 57 percent in East Asia. The study emphasizes that these differences reflect varying levels of exposure to behavioral, environmental, and infectious factors, as well as differences in socioeconomic development, national prevention policies, and health system capacity.
The authors of the analysis emphasize that effective cancer prevention strategies must be tailored to the local context and include measures to control tobacco and alcohol sales, vaccination against human papillomavirus and hepatitis B, improving air quality, making workplaces safer, and creating conditions for healthy eating and regular physical activity.
