Nearly 40% of new cancer cases around the globe are potentially preventable, according to a significant study that analyzed various cancer types across almost 200 countries. The research indicated that in 2022, about seven million cancer diagnoses were associated with modifiable risk factors—factors that can be changed or managed to lower the risk of developing cancer. Among these, tobacco smoking emerged as the primary contributor to cancer cases worldwide, followed by infections and alcohol consumption. The study co-author, Hanna Fink, a cancer epidemiologist at the World Health Organization, noted that steering clear of these risk factors might be one of the most effective strategies to lessen the future cancer burden.
The study was published in Nature Medicine today.
Troubling trend
Cancer remains one of the top causes of illness and mortality globally, and if current trends persist, cases are likely to increase over the coming decades. Prior research has estimated that around 44% of global cancer deaths are linked to avoidable or controllable factors. Most preventability estimates have concentrated on deaths rather than actual cases and typically focused on single risk factors, Fink explained.
To fill this gap, Fink and her team reviewed global case data from 2022 for 36 different types of cancer across 185 countries. They considered 30 known modifiable risk factors, including tobacco use, alcohol consumption, and infections.
The researchers synthesized this information with data from 2012 that tracked individuals’ exposure to these risk factors, allowing them to estimate the proportion of cases directly associated with each.
Drinking and smoking
In 2022, there were about 18.7 million new cancer cases globally. Approximately 38%, or 7.1 million, of these cases were linked to avoidable risks. Tobacco smoking was the leading factor, accounting for roughly 15% of preventable cases, followed by infections at 10% and alcohol at 3%. Notably, lung, stomach, and cervical cancers represented nearly half of all preventable cancer cases.
