Four in Ten Global Cancer Cases Preventable, WHO Warns
The World Health Organization (WHO) has revealed that nearly 40 per cent of cancer cases worldwide are preventable, underscoring the urgent need for stronger public health policies and lifestyle interventions across Nations.
In a new report released ahead of World Cancer Day, WHO and its cancer research arm, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) disclosed that about 7.1 million of the estimated 20 million new cancer cases recorded globally in 2022 were caused by factors that could have been avoided.
According to the Global health body, the leading preventable drivers of cancer include tobacco use, alcohol consumption, excess body weight, poor diet, physical inactivity, air pollution, and exposure to cancer-causing infections.
Tobacco alone accounted for approximately 15 per cent of all new cancer cases, making it the single largest risk factor Worldwide.
The report further identified infections such as human papillomavirus (HPV), hepatitis B and C, and Helicobacter pylori as major contributors to cancer incidence, particularly in low- and middle-income Countries where access to vaccination and early screening remains limited.
WHO noted that cancers linked to these infections — including cervical, liver, and stomach cancers — are largely preventable through immunisation and timely treatment.
Global Mirror News reports that lung cancer, cervical cancer, and stomach cancer accounted for nearly half of all preventable cases.
While lung cancer was strongly associated with smoking and air pollution, cervical cancer was linked to HPV infection — a disease for which effective vaccines already exist but are still underutilised in many regions.
The data also revealed a significant gender gap. Men were found to be more affected, with about 45 per cent of cancer cases in men linked to modifiable risk factors, compared to 30 per cent among women.
Experts attribute this disparity largely to higher tobacco and alcohol consumption rates among men globally.
WHO officials stressed that cancer prevention must be treated as a policy priority rather than an individual responsibility alone.
They called on governments to enforce stronger tobacco and alcohol regulations, expand vaccination programmes, promote healthier diets and physical activity, reduce air pollution, and improve access to early detection services.
As cancer cases continue to rise worldwide — particularly in developing economies — WHO warned that failure to invest in prevention could overwhelm already strained health systems.
The organisation insists that preventive action today could save millions of lives in the coming decades.
