A significant share of cancers diagnosed worldwide could be prevented through targeted prevention measures, according to a new analysis published by the World Health Organization and the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
The study examines thirty risk factors considered avoidable, including tobacco use, alcohol consumption, overweight and obesity, physical inactivity, air pollution, exposure to ultraviolet radiation and, for the first time, nine infectious agents.
Released on the eve of World Cancer Day, observed on February 4, the analysis shows that in 2022, 37 percent of new cancer cases, or around 7.1 million diagnoses, were linked to preventable causes. These findings highlight the substantial potential of prevention to reduce the global cancer burden.
Based on data covering 36 types of cancer across 185 countries, the study indicates that tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of cancer worldwide, accounting for 15 percent of new cases. It is followed by infections at 10 percent and alcohol consumption at 3 percent.
Three cancers alone account for nearly half of all preventable cases worldwide, among both men and women. These are cancers of the lung, stomach and cervix. Lung cancer is closely associated with tobacco use and air pollution, stomach cancer is largely attributable to infection with Helicobacter pylori, while cervical cancer is caused in the vast majority of cases by the human papillomavirus.
According to André Ilbawi, head of the Cancer Control team at the World Health Organization and lead author of the study, this is the first global analysis to precisely quantify the share of cancer risk attributable to preventable causes. Examining trends across countries and population groups provides policymakers and individuals with key insights that can help prevent cancers before they develop.
The study also highlights marked disparities between sexes. The proportion of preventable cancers is significantly higher among men, at 45 percent of new cases, compared with 30 percent among women. Among men, tobacco use is by far the leading risk factor, accounting for 23 percent of cases, followed by infections and alcohol. Among women, infections represent the leading cause, followed by tobacco use and overweight.
According to Isabelle Soerjomataram, Deputy Head of Cancer Surveillance at the International Agency for Research on Cancer, this analysis provides an unprecedented global assessment of preventable cancers. By integrating infectious causes alongside behavioral, environmental and occupational risks, the study confirms that prevention is a key lever for sustainably reducing the cancer burden.
The geographic distribution of preventable cancers varies widely across regions. Among women, it ranges from 24 percent in North Africa and Western Asia to 38 percent in sub-Saharan Africa. Among men, it varies from 28 percent in Latin America and the Caribbean to 57 percent in East Asia. These differences reflect varying levels of exposure to risk factors, socioeconomic development and prevention policies.
The study’s conclusions call for strategies tailored to national contexts, including stronger tobacco control, alcohol regulation, vaccination against human papillomavirus and hepatitis B, improved air quality and working conditions, and the promotion of environments that support healthy diets and physical activity. Coordinated action across multiple sectors could reduce cancer incidence, ease long-term healthcare costs and improve population well-being.
