WHO: Almost 40% of cancer cases can be prevented 

Photo: Reuters , February 4, Minsk . Nearly 40% of cancer cases worldwide are preventable, according to a new global analysis by the World Health Organization and the International Agency for Research on Cancer, published on World Cancer Day (February 4), as reported on the UN News Center website. The study's

findings are based on data from 185 countries on 36 types of cancer. The impact of 30 preventable risk factors for cancer development was analyzed, including tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption, high body mass index, low physical activity, air pollution, and ultraviolet radiation. The list also included nine cancer-causing infections, including the human papillomavirus (HPV), which can trigger cervical cancer. Experts estimate that in 2022, approximately 7.1 million new cancer cases (37%) were associated with avoidable factors. Thus, the data highlight the enormous potential of prevention in reducing the global cancer burden. According to the study, smoking remains the leading preventable cause of cancer, accounting for 15% of all new cases. Infections rank second (10%), and alcohol consumption ranks third (3%). Almost half of the world's preventable cancer cases are associated with three types: 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 HPV. Moreover, the incidence of preventable cancer is significantly higher in men than in women. Thus, 45% of new cancer cases are associated with preventable factors among men, while among women the figure is 30%. Smoking is the cause of approximately 23% of all new cancer cases in men, followed by infections (9%) and alcohol consumption (4%). Among women, infections caused 11% of all new cancer cases, followed by smoking (6%) and a high body mass index (3%). If current trends continue, the number of new cancer cases is projected to increase by 50% by 2040, highlighting the urgent need for effective prevention strategies. According to Dr. André Ilbawi, head of the WHO's Cancer Control Team, this is the first global analysis to demonstrate the scale of the impact of preventable cancer risk factors and enable countries and individuals to take more effective measures to prevent the disease. The study's authors emphasize that effective prevention strategies should include measures to control tobacco and alcohol sales, HPV and hepatitis B vaccinations, improved air quality, safer workplaces, and the creation of conditions conducive to healthy eating and physical activity.