A new analysis by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and its cancer research arm, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), has revealed that four in every 10 cancer cases globally could be prevented, highlighting the critical role of prevention in reducing the global cancer burden.
The study, released ahead of World Cancer Day on February 4, found that 37 per cent of all new cancer cases recorded worldwide in 2022 — about 7.1 million cases — were linked to preventable causes.
Drawing on data from 185 countries and 36 cancer types, the analysis examined 30 preventable risk factors, including tobacco use, alcohol consumption, high body mass index, physical inactivity, air pollution, ultraviolet radiation, and— for the first time in a global assessment—nine cancer-causing infections.
According to the report, tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of cancer, accounting for 15 per cent of all new cases globally, followed by infections (10 per cent) and alcohol consumption (3 per cent).
Three cancer types—lung, stomach, and cervical cancers—were responsible for nearly half of all preventable cancer cases worldwide. Lung cancer was largely driven by smoking and air pollution; stomach cancer was mainly linked to Helicobacter pylori infection; while cervical cancer was overwhelmingly caused by human papillomavirus (HPV).
“This is the first global analysis to show how much cancer risk comes from causes we can prevent,” said Dr Andre Ilbawi, WHO Team Lead for Cancer Control and one of the study’s authors. “By examining patterns across countries and population groups, we can provide governments and individuals with actionable information to prevent many cancer cases before they start.”
The burden of preventable cancer was found to be significantly higher in men than in women. Among men, 45 per cent of new cancer cases were linked to preventable causes, compared with 30 per cent among women. Smoking alone accounted for 23 per cent of new cancer cases in men, followed by infections (9 per cent) and alcohol (4 per cent).
For women globally, infections were the leading preventable cause (11 per cent), followed by smoking (6 per cent) and high body mass index (3 per cent).
The report also revealed stark regional disparities. Among women, preventable cancers ranged from 24 per cent in North Africa and West Asia to 38 per cent in sub-Saharan Africa. Among men, the highest burden was recorded in East Asia (57 per cent), while the lowest was seen in Latin America and the Caribbean (28 per cent).
Describing the findings as groundbreaking, Dr Isabelle Soerjomataram, Deputy Head of the IARC Cancer Surveillance Unit and senior author of the study, said the research represents “one of the most comprehensive global assessments of preventable cancer to date.”
“Addressing these preventable causes represents one of the most powerful opportunities to reduce the global cancer burden,” she added.
The report called for context-specific prevention strategies, including stronger tobacco control, tighter alcohol regulation, vaccination against cancer-causing infections such as HPV and hepatitis B, improved air quality, safer workplaces, and healthier diets and physical activity environments.
It also stressed the need for coordinated action across multiple sectors, warning that failure to act would continue to cost millions of families their health, livelihoods, and lives. Beyond saving lives, WHO and IARC noted that tackling preventable cancer risks would significantly reduce long-term healthcare costs and improve overall population wellbeing worldwide.
