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A significant share of global cancer cases could be avoided through changes in behavior and environment, according to a new international study. The analysis, published in Nature Medicine, finds that roughly four in ten cancer diagnoses worldwide are linked to preventable risk factors — with smoking, alcohol consumption, and certain infections topping the list in 2022.
Researchers estimate that 38 percent of all cancer cases globally could have been prevented. The burden is not evenly distributed: 45 percent of cancers in men are considered preventable, compared with around 30 percent in women.
The findings come from a research team led by Isabelle Soerjomataram of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in Lyon. The study is the first to systematically incorporate infections as cancer risk factors on a global scale.
Seven Million Preventable Cases in 2022
Using only risk factors with proven causal links to cancer — and for which reliable exposure data exist — the researchers assessed behavioral, environmental, and occupational risks. These included smoking, alcohol use, air pollution, and workplace hazards.
Their conclusion: of the 18.7 million new cancer cases recorded worldwide in 2022, approximately 7 million could have been avoided if these risks had been reduced or eliminated.
The distribution of risks varies sharply by region and gender. In sub-Saharan Africa, 38 percent of cancer cases among women are preventable, compared with just 25 percent in North Africa and West Asia. In many African and Asian regions, infections are the leading preventable cause of cancer.
Smoking Dominates in Western Countries
In Europe, Australia, the United States, and Canada, smoking remains the most significant preventable risk factor. Among men, the highest proportion of preventable cancers is found in East Asia (57 percent), while the lowest is in Latin America and the Caribbean (28 percent).
Experts Warn of Rising Cancer Burden
“The fight against these preventable causes represents one of the most effective ways to reduce the global cancer burden,” said study leader Soerjomataram. WHO expert and co-author André Ilbawi emphasized that the study provides unprecedented clarity on the scale of preventable cancer risks.
WHO projections indicate that if current trends continue, global cancer incidence could rise by 50 percent by 2040. Ilbawi notes that understanding risk patterns across countries and populations can help governments and individuals take targeted action to reduce cancer rates.
The study’s message is clear: while genetics and chance play a role, a substantial portion of cancer risk is shaped by lifestyle and environment — factors that are, at least in part, within human control.
- source: gesund24.at/picture: pixabay.com
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